Rise of the One
by Rpgisbest
Summary: Harry potter is not the boy-who-lived. He is not the savior of magical Britain. He is just an orphan who has a dream, to become something great. (Rating M just for precaution)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC characters.**

 **This is my first ever piece of writing on anything, although I have been inspired by many other pieces of work on the internet.**

 **I apologies if I am incorrect about a function of British society, message me and I will fix it.**

 **This is a moderately AU story, Neville BoyWhoLived, Harry is an orphan and grows up in an orphanage, and transfers to Durmstrang.**

 **Harry will be a grey wizard (with cumulative power), not OP at first but gets there eventually.**

 **Dates will be shifted slightly, be it several hours or months, although I will keep the general timeline intact**

 **I will try to keep bashings to a minimum, although there are a few key characters I may land a little criticism on, such as:**

 **Ron Weasley, Percy Weasley, Hermione Granger, Vernon Dursley, and several of my OC's**

 **I will not turn any of these characters into horrible characters, but my interpretation of Harry Potter will cause conflict with some of these characters.**

 **Please comment and review, and please keep in mind that this is my first story ever.**

* * *

In the middle of the night, celebrations were commencing all throughout England. News of the dark lord's defeat had spread to all corners of the country and was rapidly spreading throughout the world. However, far from the celebrations and jovial atmosphere was a sleeping infant, wrapped in a bundle of blankets asleep on the cold doorstep of #4 Privet Drive.

Albus Dumbledore stared down at the young child and reflected on all that had occurred in the time since nightfall. He turned just in time to see the shadow of a cat vanish, replaced with a visage of an intimidating woman.

"Evening Minerva" Spoke Albus. "How are the Longbottoms?"

Minerva scoffed. "It's horrible! Alice and Frank are lying unresponsive, Augusta is in a rage, and young Neville had a horrid scare on his forehead!"

"So, the prophecy held true then?" Muttered Albus. "Young Neville is indeed the vanquisher of the dark lord."

"What about Lily and James" Whispered Minerva. "Are they...….?"

"Dead?" Said Albus morosely. "Yes, cut down by the Lestranges not an hour ago...and young Harry has been left with a permanent reminder."

"Dear Merlin" Choked Minerva upon seeing the blacked scar on the young boys chin, which travels below the blanket.

"How far down does it go...? Spoke Minerva fretting. "Is it malignant? is it dangerous?"

Albus stared over Minerva's shoulder, as if looking at something very far away. He slowly turned towards her, as if weighing whether he should tell Minerva what he knows.

"There will be no lasting damage" Albus stated at last. "The scar will always be a reminder of what happened tonight, but it will not affect his more than that."

The two stood there for a moment, one lost in memories of happier time, the other looking to the problems of the future.

"Are you sure he belongs here" Minerva spoke after a lengthy pause. "I have watched these muggles all day, the worst possible place...…"

"They are the only place he can go" Albus interrupted. "He will be safe here, away from the toils of the wizarding world, away from the blood prejudice that killed so many."

"And maybe he will find a family here" Whispered Albus so softly Minerva doubted whether she had heard anything at all.

Standing in contemplative silence, the two finally readied themselves to leave the muggle neighborhood, as the first cracks of light streaked across the sky.

Albus bent down to the sleeping infant, now rendered a orphan and disfigured with a scar, and gently laid a letter on the top of the blankets.

"Good luck, Harry Potter" And with that, Albus and Minerva disappeared with a 'crack', and the child was left alone.

* * *

Suffice to say, upon opening his door in the morning and seeing the child sleeping there with a letter on top, Vernon Dursley was not as accepting as Albus may have hoped. After reading the letter which accompanied the infant, Vernon left in the early hours of the morning with his wife and young child sleeping soundly, unaware of what had occurred. Vernon drove quickly, arriving at downtown London before the crowds started to appear.

He pulled up across from Saint Peter's orphanage, and checking to make sure no one would see him, Vernon got out of his car and briskly walked to the front door of the orphanage. He deposited the still sleeping infant on the doorstep, and without a backward glance quickly got in his car and drove away, never to return.

Sometime later, the front door opened, and a greying woman stepped out into the fresh air. She looked down, and noticed the child sleeping soundly. She looked around, but there was nobody around who could have left the child. She picked up the child, and noticed a name embroiled on one of the blankets.

"Harry Potter" Spoke Ms. Chelsa, rising up again. "I guess this is your new home"

Standing back up, she turned around and walked back into the orphanage, the door closing with a resounding 'thud'.

* * *

The years passed by, with Harry potter taking his first steps, learning to talk, and generally doing what all normal toddlers do. However, as time progressed the situation at the orphanage deteriorated. it was a slow, lumbering process as funding for the orphanage was slowly decreasing. Eventually the orphanage was depending on charitable foundations for most of its funding.

Consequently, because of the slowly crumbling state of the building, many children were sent elsewhere, due to certain parts of the orphanage being deemed 'unsafe'. Young Harry Potter was not one of these children. 'He was a strange child' whispered the other children. Although polite and a decent conversationalist, 7 year old Harry was a devout reader spending as many hours as he could with his head stuck in a book, while other kids laughed and played games outside.

Contrary to many of the other children at the orphanage, Harry did not appear to desire a group of close friends. That is not to say that he was a recluse, but he preferred solitary, either by himself or watching the other children from a distance away. Another strange quirk of his was that Harry did not want to get adopted. Nobody knew why, and eventually Ms. Chelsa took Harry aside after he hid from another prospective family.

"Harry" Spoke Ms. Chelsa, watching as Harry observed the couples departing car. "Why aren't you downstairs with the other children?"

"...….."

"I know it can be nerve-wracking" Ms. Chelsa smiled "but maybe you might find a family one day, and finally leave for a better life"

"I don't think I will get adopted" Harry quietly spoke at last. "I'm not like other children...….I am different"

Harry stared outside, watching as it began to rain down and the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

"Sometimes it's good to be different" Ms. Chelsa began "Many of the best and brightest people in the world are different."

"Like who" Harry asked curiously.

Ms. Chelsa looked beyond Harry, and thought for a moment before replying

"Well there was Einstein, one of the greatest scientists ever. He was very strange, but in a good way." Spoke Ms. Chelsa

"Without his discoveries we would never be where we are today, we would be far back" She Laughed

Harry sat there for a moment contemplating what he was told, Ms. Chelsa could see that he was thinking about what she had told him.

"But if he discovered so much" Harry spoke. "Then couldn't all of the stuff he found be used for a different purpose? Like something bad?"

Ms. Chelsa stared at him, finding his question a bit ludicrous at first, until she stopped and thought about what he said.

"I... suppose that would be true" She stated at last. "But that is hardly his fault, he did nothing wrong. The blame rests with those who use his knowledge for bad"

Harry said nothing at that, and Ms. Chelsa smiled sadly at him before finally leaving to attend to the other children.

After hearing Ms. Chelsa's footsteps recede down the hallway, Harry turned his attention back to his room.

Said room was quite small, with there being a small worn-down bead, accompanied by a wardrobe that reached halfway up to the ceiling. A small desk was next to the wardrobe, with a worn-down pencil and a shiny coin sitting on top, which was where Harry did his schoolwork. Harry had been attending local elementary school and was told repeatedly that he was a talented student.

Harry disagreed, because he believed that a great student was one who both performed well in what he did, but also enjoyed what he learned. He did not find elementary school to be very intreating, and therefore his attention wavered constantly throughout the day.

Harry sighed, and sat down on his old wooden chair in front of his desk. He looked at the coin, which was a tiny penny and stared at it for a moment.

It shook.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **So I decided to put the petal to the metal and grind out this chapter since I'm sick today, yay.**

 **Small dates and information may be shifted, if you have a problem with this please comment and say so.**

 **Any locations listed in this chapter may not exist in real life or are not what they are stated to be, please keep that in mind.**

 **Also, remember that this was 1991, and that many habits that are common and/or accepted today would have been frowned upon then.**

 **Finally, I do not know the exact value of the pound, or how much money Harry has in his vault so I was make a general estimation.**

* * *

Harry Potter, now eleven years old sits almost motionless in his now decrepit room. Time had not been kind to the orphanage, as Harry could well attest to. the cooling system had broken just last summer. The heating system was slow and cumbersome, with only certain sections of the building getting sufficient heating in the winter. Many of the children still in the orphanage were wearing hastily repaired or hand me down clothes.

Harry was looking down at his summer homework, wishing to get a head start on his upcoming arrival at secondary school.

Suddenly, he heard a scratching on his bedroom window. Harry was surprised to see a owl perching on the outside of the window, with what appeared to be a piece of paper in it's beak.

Harry opened the window, and watched bemused as the owl walked in. The owl stared at him for a moment, before dropping the letter that it carried and retreating a step to watch him.

"A smart one, aren't you?" Harry stared, amused by the owl's intelligence. "What do you have for me here?"

The owl did not respond obviously, but Harry did not pay it any attention as he stared down at the piece of paper, which he now realized was a letter.

 _To: Harry Potter_

 _Harry's Room_

 _122 Abbot Road_

 _St Peter's Orphanage_

Harry opened the letter, staring at the contents in befuddlement. The letter stated that he had been accepted into Hogwarts(Who names a school Hogwarts?) School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had a list of requirements, some of which he did not know existed. The letter went on the say that he would need to send his confirmation by September 1st.

Harry put down the letter, and sat down on his chair to think. Yes, he knew that there was something strange about himself, something that set him apart from others in the orphanage. He saw things, that the others did not. Once, he saw a many walking down a street dressed in a woman's gown, but nobody appeared to think it strange that such attire was on a man. Harry had stared at him for a while, while others did not even look at him, and the crowd flowed around him like water to a rock. There were many other oddities that Harry had seen over the years, but that was by far the weirdest.

Harry could not lay judgement upon that man though, because he had his own share of quirts and 'strange' occurrences. He could always do things, like moving a penny across the desk, and having strange dreams about a woman, screaming while a strange man was pointing a stick at her. Harry thought nothing of it at the time, but now he thought that perhaps if magic was real, then his dreams may have some truth to them.

Harry shook his head, clearing away his contemplations. He looked at the own sitting patiently on the windowsill, before sighing to himself and writing his acceptance on a piece of paper.

He put the confirmation back into the envelope, and looked at the owl inquisitively before hesitantly handing the letter back to it. The owl snatched the letter with it's beak, and without a second glance flew out of the window, disappearing into the city mere moments later.

Harry spent the next 3 hours in a daze, vaguely aware of the crowds appearing as the midmorning rush commenced. He shook himself out of his daze as Ms. Chelsa knocked in his door.

"Harry" She began. "A lady showed up to see you, said that she is from a boarding school with your name on it's registry."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but as the first words were about to leave his mouth another woman walked into view.

'Well she's intimidating' Harry thought, staring at the woman who by contrast overshadowed Ms. Chelsa.

"Hello Mr. Potter" The woman began. "I am Professor McGonagall; I was sent to introduce you to our school"

"I'll leave you two alone then" Ms. Chelsa stated, turning to leave.

As she vacated her spot in the doorway, harry reminisced on how she had changed over the last 4 years. Her hair had begun to grey at the roots, and she walked slower as of late. As the echo of her footsteps gradually grew softer, Harry turned his attention back to McGonagall.

"Is magic really real?" Harry spoke, already knowing the answer but needing confirmation.

"...Yes, Mr. potter" McGonagall began. "There are a select few people in this world, who are able to use magic."

"Do all magic people get accepted into Hogwarts?' Harry questioned.

"No, just British witches and wizards" McGonagall continued. "There are different schools for different countries, but you only need to concern yourself with Hogwarts."

Harry stayed quiet for several seconds, staying down at his lap in silent contemplation before looking at McGonagall again.

"Do you know where I could find the things listed on my letter" Harry asked

"There is a place where witches and wizards go to buy there supplies" McGonagall stated. "We call it Diagon Alley, and it is where I will take you today to gather your supplies"

"But I haven't any money" Harry started. "How will I pay for everything?"

McGonagall smiled, and the reaction was so out of place that Harry was momentarily stunned.

"You didn't think your parents would leave you with nothing did you?"

* * *

Harry stared down the alley full of vibrant colors and people wearing all manner of clothing. He did not expect when McGonagall brought him through a decrepit bar with dim lightning and a dirty atmosphere to end up in a place that could have come straight out of a children's book. He stared at the intermingling people, and wondered how he never heard of such a place before. He couldn't stare for long, as McGonagall began to briskly walk through the mob of witches and wizards and Harry hurried to keep up.

"If there are so many witches and wizards" Harry started. "Then how come nobody outside knows about this?"

"The statue of secrecy" Begun McGonagall. " was put in place centuries ago in order to protect both muggles and mag..."

"What's a muggle?" Harry asked.

"..A non magical person" McGonagall looked disapproving at Harry, who shrunk into himself slightly.

"now, as I was saying" McGonagall resumed. "The Ministry imposed the statue of secrecy in order to protect both magical and non magical people from conflicting with each other."

"But surely someone must have seen something magical since then?" Harry asked gob smacked. "Surely there had to have been some accident or something..."

"If any non magical person sees magic, then they are obliviated, which means having their memories altered or erased" McGonagall answered.

Harry was about to ask more questions, but his words died in his throat as they came upon a tall marble building, sitting tilted to one side ever so slightly.

"This is Gringotts" McGonagall Lectured "The best bankers in the wizarding world."

McGonagall continued up the steps to the front gate before stopping at the door and looking at Harry."

"Gringotts is run by goblins" She stated. "Maintain good decorum and try not to offend them."

Harry's eyes widened at that, and without waiting for his inevitable questions, McGonagall opened the door and walked in with Harry right behind her. As the two walked forward through the main lobby Harry saw many small creatures, with hard faces and mean expressions. Each one was busying themselves with either coins on their desks, or were interacting with what Harry assumed to be other patrons.

Eventually, the two arrived at the end of the large lobby where there was a goblin sitting atop a large desk.

"We are here to make a withdrawal from a Mr. Harry Potter" McGonagall stated

"The goblin make no visible recognition that someone had spoken to it, and spent nearly a minute finishing the form on it's desk before setting his quill down and looking at the two.

"And does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?" the goblin asked with a neutral expression, staring down at Harry with irritation.

"I have it with me" McGonagall interjected, holding up a small ordinary key.

The goblin took the key from her and stared at it for several moments before speaking to a goblin off to the side.

"Griphook" The goblin began. "Take these two to vault 687"

Harry stared at the interaction, before thinking about the key that McGonagall had. Shouldn't he have had such a key on his person, if the vault belonged to him?

"Excuse me Professor" Harry began. "But why do you have the key to a vault that belongs to me?"

"It was given to me by headmaster Dumbledore" McGonagall answered. "It has been in his possession since your parents passing."

"What happened to them?" Harry asked softly, staring at her with a sad, inquisitive expression.

McGonagall looked at him for a moment, before looking away with something that might have been sadness.

"Later" She answered

* * *

Arriving at the vault after the best roller coaster ride ever known to mankind, Harry got out of the cart, with McGonagall taking an extra second to catch her breath. He looked at the stone wall, covered by what appeared to be a heavily reinforced barrier.

"Key please." The goblin identified as Griphook stated, holding out his hand to McGonagall.

"Stand back please" Griphook said, inserting the key into the little opening in the wall. He turned the key, followed by the sound of gears turning. The barrier swung open, with Harry staring befuddled at the small mountain of golden coins the filled up the small vault.

"Are these all mine?" Harry softly asked, not believing that amount of money these coins must be worth.

"Yes Mr. Potter" McGonagall answered, hiding a small smile. "Your parents made sure you would have everything you needed in here."

"Did my parents have a vault too?" Harry asked.

"Yes, James Potter had a family fault with his families possessions. Yo will have access to that vault. when you turn seventeen, as per ministry law."

Harry stared for a moment, before turning to look at McGonagall with a confused look on his face.

"How much is all this worth?" Harry finally asked.

"Well, there are seventeen sickles to a galleon(which are the gold coins), and there are 29 knuts to a sickle. This means that there are 493 knuts to a galleon." McGonagall responded.

"But how much is a galleon really worth?" Harry questioned.

"Well, most wands don't cost more than 15 galleons, and you can buy decent meals for several sickles.

Harry continued to stare at the mound of gold, still awestruck by the sheer amount of money he must have inherited.

"I believe a galleon is worth around 17 British pounds" McGonagall continued. "Many muggleborn families have trouble converting their money into galleons. especially with the new ministry laws prohibiting the goblins from dealing with anyone other than witches and wizards."

"The goblins must not have liked that" Harry spoke. "I would have been angry with the ministry if I was in their place."

Neither one of them noticed Griphook outside the vault turn his head to look at them for a moment, before returning his head to an unobserving position.

Harry stared for a moment, before asking McGonagall another question.

"How much money do I need for Hogwarts?" He asked

"I'd say about 100 galleons would be more than enough for everything" She replied.

Harry stared at all the gold, and wondered how he was to carry all of it without begin mugged.

As if sensing his query, McGonagall held out her hand in which there was a small sack.

"This bad has an extension charm on it" She stated. "It should be able to hold all the galleons you need."

Harry looked at her, nodded his head in thanks before putting in the recommended amount of gold. He also added a few extra galleons for good measure, before rising and with one last glance around the vault, he departed with McGonagall.

On the ride back to the surface, Harry wondered just how much money he had in his vault. He knew that there were at least thousand of galleons in his vault, maybe even tens of thousands. He turned his head to McGonagall wit ha question poised.

"Can I hold on to my vault key?" He asked.

McGonagall turned her head to face him, and looked a bit bemused that he would want to hold onto the key.

"Students are not allowed to leave Hogwarts without permission of the headmaster" She started. "There is no reason for you to have the key, you are too young."

Harry stared for a moment, gob smacked by the blunt refusal before deciding to perhaps take another approach.

"it's just, the key is the only real thing of have to remind me of them" He pleaded, with big watery eyes. "It would make me happy to have something that they created."

McGonagall let out something that sounded vaguely like a sniffle, before looking away from him.

"...Maybe it could be given to you at the start of next summer, if you are responsible." She softly said.

The rest of the journey was silent

* * *

Once they had arrived at the surface and had left through the main entrance, the two walked a short distance before McGonagall turned to harry and asked him a question.

"I have a matter to attend to" McGonagall spoke "could you go and purchase all of your school requirements while I take care of it?"

Harry looked around the alley, still as full of people as it had been when he had entered.

"I'll...…manage." He spoke at last, a big overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people meandering about.

Just as he finished speaking, Harry heard a 'crack' from his right. When he looked to see what it was, McGonagall was gone without a trace.

'Did she just teleport?' Harry thought, bemused.

'Huh, so where to first.' Harry debated, looking at the long list of requirements that he needed.

Deciding to get the easy stuff over with first, he sought out the apothecary, where he purchased his potion cauldron, and all the necessary ingrediants that he needed. He then travelled to Flourish and Blotts, where he picked up his school books. While collecting his required reading material, Harry also found several books that caught his interest. Such books ranged from magical history, to basic charms and jinxes, which sounded interesting to him.

He then headed to Madam Malkin's, in order to get his school uniform. Harry did not like the idea of a school uniform, but found that it was too small of a annoyance to waste his potential. Walking through the front door, a woman hurried over.

"Hogwarts too?" She asked. "Got a whole bunch of you today."

"Yes Ms." Harry replied.

"Just stand over here" She motioned him over onto a stool next to a blonde boy.

Tape measures and other equipment started to fly around Harry, measuring him and he stood there in bewilderment.

The blonde boy looked over at him, as if weighing his value.

"Hogwarts too?" He asked. "What house do you think you will be in?"

Harry stared at the boy, wondering at what these 'houses' were.

"I don't know." Harry responded. "What house do you think you go to?"

"Slytherin of course." The boy responded. "The best house in Hogwarts, way better than all the others."

The boy thought for a moment, as if a new thought had just hit him.

"I guess Ravenclaw wouldn't be so bad, but Hufflepuff is the worst, and don't even get me started on Gryffindor." He continued.

Harry wisely chose to stay quiet, and when the boy was done rambling, he looked at Harry questioningly.

"I don't think I have ever seen you before" He stated, holding out his hand. "Draco Malfoy."

"Harry Potter" Harry replied, shaking his hand, but actually wanting to distance himself from the now identified Draco.

"Potter? So your family was our sort, right?" Draco asked, looking at him in a new light.

"If you mean they were magical, then yes." Harry responded.

"Good, I don't think they should allow the other sort into Hogwarts." Draco continued. "You know, the one's from muggles."

"Then where would they go" Harry asked, beginning to become irritated with this boy's obvious bigotry against anyone relating to the nonmagical.

"I don't know, maybe Beauxbatons." Draco said. "They already cater to half breeds, adding mudbloods shouldn't be much of a problem."

Harry didn't know what a 'half breed' or a 'mudblood' was, but he knew that it was nothing good, so he decided to keep quiet.

Soon after, the measurements were all set, and the uniforms were done. Harry paid the necessary costs, and tried to leave as quickly as possible before Draco could irritate him any more, but it was not to be.

"I hope you associate with the 'right' sort, if you catch my meaning." Draco called as Harry quickly left through the door, and made his way to the last place he needed to go before he meet back up with McGonagall at the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

Harry moved toward a shop labeled Ollivander's, where he was told to purchase a wand. He opened the door and walked in to the vaguely lit room. Cases upon cases filled up the shelves around the room, with the rows and columns spanning the length of the entire shop. Harry waited a moment before making his way to the desk, upon which he noticed a bell that he proceeded to ring.

A man walked into view, and the first thing Harry noticed about him was that he was very old. His hair was completely white, with his skin old and his eyes hard and analyzing. This was who Harry assumed was Ollivander. He located Harry and cracked a small smile.

"Ah, Mr. Potter" He began, moving closer to get a better look at the boy.

He looked at Harry for a moment before turning to one of the shelves and browsing the cases.

"I remember when your parents came in here for their first wands." He recalled, removing one of the cases and placing it on the table.

He opened the case and removed what appeared to be a long stick from it, at which point Harry realized that it was in fact a wand.

"Well give it a wave." He stated, after Harry stared at it for several moments.

The lantern proceeded to explode.

"No, No, absolutely not!" He stuttered.

A good fifteen minutes later, after 3 failed wands and several galleons worth of damage to the shop in which Ollivander refused to take compensation for, he pulled out another wand. He looked at it for a moment, before proceeding to slowly place it down on the table.

"I wonder, Mr. Potter" He spoke quietly. "Try this one for size."

harry took hold of the wand, expectant of yet another failure. He was therefore surprised, when the sound in the room ground to a halt, and not even his breathing could be heard. It lasted for only a moment, before the sound returned, but in that moment Harry knew that this wand was for him.

Ollivander realized this as well, and proceeded to charge him for the wand (and coincidentally left out the price for all the damage).

Before leaving, Harry turned to Ollivander, a question on his tongue.

"Mr. Ollivander?" Harry started. "What is this wand made of?"

Ollivander stayed quiet for a moment.

"That wand is 10 and 3/4 inches, is slightly springy, and has a core with a phoenix feather. It is enclosed with Sycamore wood. A very twitchy combination, one that yearns for new and exciting experiences. Many witches and wizards who lead more mundane lifestyles find that these wands burst into flames when repeatedly forced to execute repetitive or weak spells. The true match for a learner or adventurer."

"Thank you sir." Harry said, before turning to leave with Ollivander's eyes on his back.

* * *

Harry sat, eating the small meal that he had ordered from Tom, the barkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron. he ate sullenly, with many questions on his mind but not knowing how to ask them. Finally, he turned to McGonagall with a question he needed answered above all else.

"What happened to my parents?" Harry spoke quietly, the dim lighting in the bar further darkening the atmosphere of the room.

McGonagall looked away for a moment, before turning fully to face harry.

"There is something you need to know Mr. Potter, something very important" She began. "Not all witches and wizards are good. Some are bad, and many years ago one of the worst wizards in history started a war" She paused.

"He gathered many other witches and wizards to his campaign, where he preached pure blood supremacy over all and called all inhuman or non magical beings inferior."

"You parents were part of the group that fought against him" She continued. "they risked their lives everyday in order to protect the nonmagical and fight for equal freedom of all."

"What happened?" Harry questioned. "What happened to my parents?"

"Lily and James Potter" McGonagall begun. "Were two of the brightest individuals of their generation, and were invaluable to the war effort. But they gained the attention of the dark lord, and so they were forced into hiding."

"Were they found?" Harry wondered.

"They were betrayed." McGonagall stated, here eyes turning hard for a moment. "They were betrayed by one of their best friends. Sirius Black, the one guarding their locations betrayed them to the dark lord, who sent his underlings to torture and kill them. Sirius escaped, and preceded to kill another friend of your parents, Peter Pettigrew before being captured and sent to prison." She concluded.

"What happened to the ones who killed by parents?" Harry finally asked after a moment of silence. "Were they captured?"

"The aurors(magical police) arrived at their house as your parents were struck down by the two death eaters."

"Wait, what are death eaters, and who were the ones who killed my parents?" Harry asked, overwhelmed by all the new information he was being exposed to.

"Those that followed the dark lord and were branded with his mark are known as death eaters." McGonagall answered. "And your parents were killed by the two Lestranges, Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus Lestrange.

Harry asked no more questions, and the two sat in reflective silence, the only sound being the mutter of conversation around the rest of the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

Harry walked briskly through King's Cross station, moving at a rapid pace in order to reach the Hogwarts Express in time. He recalled how McGonagall had instructed him how to reach platform 9 and 3/4, and made sure to have his ticket with him in case anything happened. A he moved towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, he saw a large family of redheads approach the barrier two, and decided to wait for them to go first.

Upon closer examination, the family appeared to be struggling financially, with many of the children wearing patched or oversized clothing. Still unlike many other families that Harry had observed, this group was jovial and clearly had a very strong familial bonding. There were no frowns, or arguments, no anger. Just a content family, the picture of happiness.

Suddenly, the patch clothes and oversized outfits did not appear as bad. Harry felt a twinge of something in his chest, and he realized that what he was feeling was jealously.

The feeling lasted only a moment, and by the time the family of redheads had disappeared through the barrier(EPIC!) the feeling was gone.

Harry shook his head, and moved through the barrier, shutting his eyes at the last moment as his body expected to impact with a brick wall. But there was no impact, and harry opened his eyes to the sight and sound of happy families waving their children off school. There were families hugging, children crying, and younger siblings complaining about how unfair it was that they couldn't go as well.

Harry saw a family that was normally dressed, with the two parents hugging their daughter off. What struck Harry as odd was that there was another girl who looked identical to the one being hugged, who seemed to be upset about something. As Harry passed them he saw a watch on the man and woman's wrists, and realized that they must be muggles. He wondered why the other sister was not going as well, but then realized that maybe she was not a witch.

'That must be terrible.' Harry thought. 'Being exposed to the wonders of magic but not being able to do it yourself.'

Harry cleared his head, and moved onto the train, spending the last five minutes before departure trying to find an empty compartment. After several minutes of searching, Harry had almost given up on a peaceful ride, when he found a empty compartment near the middle of the train. He put his trunk on the rack above the seats and sat down, not a moment too soon as the warning whistle shrieked out a last minute call to the platform.

As the first jolt of the train rocked harry to his side, he smiled. A true, heartfelt smile that he had not given for many years.

'A real adventure.' Harry thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer : I own nothing except my OC's**

 **I apologize if the first few chapters appear a bit rushed, I have always been interested in the middle and later years of Harry's education.**

 **Also, I have decided to go through with my plan to transfer Harry to Durmstrang.**

* * *

The train continued past miles of countryside, passing the occasional town or farm, until all signs of civilization faded into the distance, and all that was left was endless greenery. The sky was a bright blue, with the occasional cloud blocking the blue from dominating the sky.

Harry stared out the window, before turning his attention back to the book he was reading. It was the Standard Book of Spells(Grade 2) which was more advanced than the ones that the first years were supposed to read, but Harry wanted to look ahead a bit. He was not completely finished with the Grade 1 book, but he had become bored with the theory and had wanted to perhaps look further into the advanced curriculum.

Harry had made one more trip back to Diagon Alley, several days after McGonagall had taken him there. He was interested by what he had read in his school books, particularly focusing on charms, as well as potions. He wanted to learn more about how charms could be used for purposes not widely thought off. Harry was interested in charms because it most closely resembled his favorite subject that he took in muggle school, science. He wanted to learn more about how potions created new substances with existing ingredients.

Harry was awake for hours after his first tour of Diagon Alley, wondering if perhaps alchemy was a field in the wizarding world. The idea that the philosopher stone was a reality ignited a burning desire in Harry's heart. After he had returned to Diagon Alley, he purchased a beginners guide to potions, along with his school required potions text. He was interested in seeing if his teacher would be an expert in the art of potions, or if he would be a incapable instructor. Harry had several of those in elementary school. Luckily, it only helped Harry to become more self sufficient, and look for the answers elsewhere when the authority was incapable of giving them.

Harry shook himself from his reflection. He wanted to practice a simple charm before he got the Hogwarts, to make sure that he was competent. He lifted his wand, cleared his throat and prepared to say the words

but was interrupted from his pondering by a knock on his compartment door. It opened revealing a girl with bushy hair and wide eyes, who then proceeded to block the door.

"Have you seen a toad?" She spoke. "Neville, the boy-who-lived has lost his."

"Sorry." Harry spoke. "I haven't seen any toads."

The girl looked ready to leave, until she saw the wand in Harry's hand and resumed her fixed position.

"Are you doing magic?" She started. "Go on then, lets see."

She sounded confident, but Harry thought he saw a hint of apprehension in her eyes.

"Alright then." Harry stated, before pronouncing "Wingardium Leviosa!"

One of the snacks that Harry had bought at King's Cross slowly lifted into the air, resulting in a smile on Harry's face, with the girl's eyes growing slightly wider.

"Nice spell" She said, with a smile that looked a little bit more real. "I haven't tried too many myself, was that spell in our school book?"

"Ya, it's one of the first things we get taught" Harry answered. "I just wanted to get a bit of an edge, you know?"

"Yes" She said. "I do."

She turned to leave but before going, the girl turned back to face Harry.

"I'm Hermione Granger." She said.

"Harry Potter." He said, watching as Hermione turned her away and left the compartment, presumably going to search for Neville's toad.

"The boy-who-lived." He whispered to himself. He had of course read about the heroic vanquisher of the dark lord, and found it a bit odd that such a worshipped hero would have a toad as a pet.

'maybe toads are a common pet in the wizarding world' Harry thought, a bit bemused by such an odd occurrence.

* * *

Harry spent the next hour quickly rereading the Standard Book of Spells(Grade 1), but was interrupted when a chubby boy barged into the compartment and quickly pulled the shades. He dove under one of the seats just in time, as the door burst open and four students dressed in Hogwarts robes came in and looked around.

"Are you looking for someone?" Harry asked, raising and eyebrow. "Nobody has been in here for an hour, other than me of course."

They looked confused for a moment, probably wondering where the chubby kid had disappeared to. They looked at each other before one of them let of a mumbled "Sorry" and closed the door, proceeding further down the train.

After a minute had passed, the chubby kid crawled out from under the seat and stood up.

"Thanks for the save" He said quietly. "They have been following me for the last half hour, it's getting tiring and kind of scary."

Harry held in the laugh that almost escaped him, restraining himself upon seeing the true terror on the boy's face.

"I should introduce myself" Harry said. "My name is Harry Potter, may I ask who you are?"

"I am Neville Longbottom." He said quietly.

"...…" Harry stared.

"Not what you were expecting, was I?" Neville said. Harry was forced to reevaluate what he had believed in the wizarding world. The boy who sat in front of him was no Hero, or legendary vanquisher of dark lords. He was no champion of rights, fighting for the rights of the oppressed. He was just a boy, who had a chubby face, sweaty palms, and a toad for a pet.

"...I'm sorry.." Harry said, coming to the realization that he must not be the only one to have such expectations for Neville the boy-who-lived. Everyone must believe he was a hero, for vanquishing the dark lord. Hell, how did anyone know that Neville was the one who defeated the dark lord, was there anyone else who was there that night that could testify for what happened?

"Don't apologize." Neville said, sniffling. "Everyone expects me to be a great hero before even meeting me. I don't even know what happened that night. All I know is that the dark lord died and that my parents were killed too. He looked down, with a tear filling the corner of his eye. Harry felt bad for the kid, knowing the he had been death a bad hand in life, just like Harry had.

"My parents died too, that night." Harry spoke quietly, after a lengthy pause to give Neville time to recompose himself.

"They died fighting for what they believed in" Harry continued. "And that, is the best thing anyone can do."

Neville was quiet for some time, before looking up at Harry. His face was better now, less sad and more ready for school.

"Thanks Harry" He spoke quietly. "I promised Hermione I would get back to her compartment, thanks for the help hiding from those kids."

Neville stood up preparing to leave the compartment, but before he want Harry had one more thing to tell him.

"Neville." Harry spoke, continuing when he had Neville's attention. "You don't have to be what people want you to be, being yourself is the best thing you can do. Being yourself is not just the best thing for you, but the best thing for everyone else too.

Neville stared for a moment, not really understanding what Harry was trying to tell him, but left with a murmured "Thank you." before heading towards the front of the train.

Harry looked to the spot where Neville once occupied , busy thinking about what he had learned.

'Certainly not what I was expecting' He thought. 'But maybe he will find his own way to shine.'

Harry spent the rest of the trip undisturbed.

* * *

After changing into his school attire when the train was approaching the station, Harry made his way outside with the rest of the first years. He followed the flow of students to a man who was colossal in size.

'Is he human?' Harry thought, recalling how many of his books mentioned or referenced other magical creatures.

'Goblins run the banks, why can't giants work at the school, if he even is a giant' Harry thought, bemused as he followed the large man with the rest of the students. After trekking for several minutes he arrived at a lake, and upon glancing up was momentarily left breathless by the sight of the majestic castle that stood upon a stall hill. After regaining his composure, Harry noticed a number of boats strewn alongside the edge of the water.

"No more than 4 to a boat" the giant man yelled.

"Harry quickly moved towards a boat, being the first to enter it, and was somewhat surprised to see Neville and Hermione join his him in the boat. Another girl, who politely introduced herself as Susan Bones joined as well.

"Everyone in?" The giant man yelled. "Forward"

All the boats began to glide across the water at a sedate pace, and the children were given plenty of time to marvel at the majestic structure of the castle as they slowly approached. Finally, arriving under a rock opening(which the large man had to duck under), The students got off the boats, and were directed up a staircase.

Once everyone reached the top of the staircase, Harry recognized professor McGonagall standing as imposing as when he had last seen her. Her eyes darted towards him for the briefest of moments, before her eyes shifted to Neville, and finally resting on who Harry recognized as Draco Malfoy before looking at the students in general.

"Welcome to Hogwarts" She began, with a serious expression present on her face. "Now in a few moments you will move through these doors, and join the rest of your classmates. But before you can join you peers you must be sorted into one of the houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw,... and Slytherin."

All of the students were captivated by what McGonagall was saying, with not a peep emanating from any of the students.

"Now while you are here, you house is life you family." She continued. "Any achievements and you will gain your house points, and rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup."

She looked at the assembled students for a moment.

"The sorting ceremony will begin in a few moments" McGonagall said before turning and walking back into the hall.

"So" Drawled someone who Harry recognized as Draco Malfoy. "Neville Longbottom has come to Hogwarts."

"Yes" Neville spoke. " and who are you?"

"Draco Malfoy" He spoke confidently, as if the world was his for the taking. "I can show you the proper way through Hogwarts"

Draco held out his hand to Neville, and everyone watched as Neville stared at the hand with a hint of sweat trailing down his neck.

He raised his hand, prepared to shake the hand out of nervousness, but halted upon seeing Harry ever so slightly shake his head.

"I think I can show myself the proper way." Neville said, retracting his hand and turning away from Draco.

Draco did not look happy about his rejection, and Harry wondered if he would see a wizard fight for the first time. But before any insults could be thrown or wands drawn, McGonagall returned.

"We're ready for you." She stated. "Please follow me."

* * *

The students followed McGonagall through the large doorway and entered a great hall. The first thing that Harry noticed upon entering was that there was a sky visible on the ceiling, and that just below the sky there were floating candles illuminating the whole room with a vibrant, welcome atmosphere.

passing by stables filled with students of many ages they finally arrived near the end of the hall, where there was a head table seated by older individuals who Harry assumed were the teachers. In the center sat a old man with a long white beard wearing vibrant robes that made his eyes hurt.

"Now before we begin" McGonagall started. "Headmaster Dumbledore has a few announcements to make."

The old man, who harry assumed was the headmaster stood up. The action was so tedious that Harry could feel the headmaster's bones crack.

"I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce" He begun. "All first years please note that the forbidden, remains forest is strictly forbidden."

'That's helpful' Snarked Harry in his head.

"Also Mr. Filch, our caretaker would like me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds for any who do not wish to die a most painful death."

'What the hell is this!' Harry internally screamed. 'This is a school and you are telling me that if I go to a part of the school then I will die?! What king of place is this!'

Oblivious to the internal ramblings of one first year student, headmaster Dumbledore sat down and the sorting commenced.

"Now, when I call your name you will come up here, I will place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your house." McGonagall said. "SUSAN BONES."

The girl who had ridden the boat with Harry walked up to the hat, and after several seconds of deliberation the hat shouted out "Hufflepuff". One of the four tables in the hall stood up clapping for the girl, who took off the hat and rushed to join her house. Several students were then called alphabetically. Hermione and Neville were sorted into Gryffindor, While Draco went to Slytherin.

Harry took note of the fact that the cheering was extra hard from Gryffindor when Neville was selected.

"HARRY POTTER" McGonagall finally called.

* * *

Harry walked up to the stool and sat down, feeling the hat being placed on his head before the hall became obscured.

'So Mr. Potter, shall we take a look?' A voice questioned Harry.

'Are you the sorting hat then?' Harry thought out, doing his best to hide his surprise on hearing a voice inside his head.

'Yes Mr. Potter, lets take a look here.' the hat mused. 'Plenty of yearning for knowledge, not much in the way of trust...'

'Hey!' Thought Harry a bit annoyed by the hat's bluntness.

'Take no offense Mr. Potter' The hat responded. 'It is a simply observation on your past actions and behavior. Now, while you are no coward you are certainly not overflowing with courage. Also, while I did not see an abundance of good moral you are far from apathetic. That just leaves two choices then, which one would you pick? Knowledge or power?'

Harry sat there for a couple of seconds contemplating which choice would be better for him.

'Is there any chance I could pick both?' Harry half heartedly questioned.

'A witty response Mr. Potter, better be' "RAVENCLAW" The hat yelled out, almost toppling Harry from the stool. One of the tables rose clapping, and Harry hastily made his way over to the front of the table, and watched the rest of the students get sorted.

Once everyone was sorted and sitting at their house table, the headmaster rose from his spot from the head table and clapped his hands.

"Let the feast, begin!" He spoke loudly, as piles upon piles of food appeared in the hall, to the happiness of the older students and the bewilderment of the first years. Harry had never seen such a display of food before. He began recalling how despite always eating enough to never be malnourished, his orphanage did not have the healthiest or tastiest food. He reached for a mouth watering chicken leg and spent several moments looking it over to find any imperfection. There was none.

As Harry swallowed a bite he noticed one of the students sorted into Gryffindor, who he recalled was at the King's Cross with the happy family and oversized clothes. He was stuffing his face full of chicken legs while hastily downing a glass of water every couple of bites, only for the cup to fill up moments later. His voracious appetite overcompensated for his terrible manners, with food and spittle flying everyone clearly visible from Harry's position on the other side of the hall.

Harry suddenly decided to eat much less after seeing this, and only had bits out of the mound that surrounded him. Nearing the end of the feast the food suddenly disappeared from the tables and headmaster Dumbledore rose from his position, pronouncing "Good night."

Once he finished speaking, students began to leave the great hall. Two students from Ravenclaw, motioned all of the first years over. They introduced themselves as Robert Hilliard and Penelope Clearwater. They lead us out of the hall, and herded the first year Ravenclaw students up a series of moving staircases(Awesome!). They moved everyone in front of a portrait of a bird, who turned it's head and looked at the students.

* * *

"To enter the Ravenclaw common room you need to answer a riddle." Penelope Clearwater said. "They get more difficult the higher year you are, so start practicing."

"What if we can't think of the answer?" A nervous boy asked. "What then?"

"Wait for someone who can answer it, or find a prefect." Stated Robert Hilliard.

The bird, what appeared to be some sort of eagle rasped out a riddle.

What goes up, but never comes down? It spoke.

All the students thought for a moment. Harry had is own reservations about the answer. He believed that there were several answers that could constitute as the answer for the riddle. Taking a blind guess, Harry answered.

"Age." He spoke quietly

"Correct answer" The eagle rasped as the portrait turned on it's side and the students walked in.

They were led into the common room, already filled with older students reading who knows what and already making study guides and review sheets.

Before they went to their dormitories, a short man with wrinkly skin and large glasses arrived behind the first years, and proceeded to introduce himself.

"Hello." He began. "I am professor Flitwick, your head of house and the charms teacher at Hogwarts." Harry felt a shiver of excitement go up his spine, upon hearing that his house's leader was the teacher of one of his most anticipated subjects.

"Ravenclaws value wit and knowledge more than the other houses." Flitwick began. "We have maintained the image of producing some of the best and brightest witches and wizards, and it now falls upon you all to continue that trend."

He stared at the first years for a moment, before continuing.

"Now, if you have any trouble, please pay a visit to my office in the evening and we will work to fix the issue." He finished.

"Now off to bed! We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He walked out of the common room, the portrait swinging shut behind him.

The first years silently made their way to their assigned dorm, where they proceeded to unpack. They all spent several minutes reviewing the content they would learn the following day, with Harry wondering how he would stack up compared to the other firs years of the school.

He went to bed, anxious to get on with the first real day of learning.

* * *

Harry awoke as the first rays of light penetrated the dorm, looking around he saw the rest of his year mates sleeping soundly. He got up, and proceeded to move down to the common room, where he was met by Penelope Clearwater who appeared to be studying for her classes already.

"Hello." She said, looking at him a bit amused.(Most first years slept in quite later.)

"If you want you can head down to the Great Hall, or wait for the other first years if you'd prefer." She continued, appearing to think something over in her head before asking.

"Do you remember the way to the great hall? I have prefect duty but I could ask an older student to escort you down." She finished, looking at him questioningly.

"I think I can find my way." Harry replied, recalling the route he took to get the their common room the night before. " But thanks for the offer."

Clearwater nodded in acknowledgment, before moving back to her table and resuming her review.

Harry exited through the eagle portrait, before making his way down the moving staircases to where he recalled the great hall was.

As he entered, he noticed that the hall was sparsely filled, with the occasional older student quietly eating or chatting with a housemate. Harry sat down at his table, and noticed that he appeared to be the only first year student who had arrived.

As he sat down and began to fill up his plate with some eggs and fruits, he heard someone approach. He glanced to his left, and saw professor Flitwick heading towards him.

"Good morning Mr. Potter." He started. "Here is your timetable for the year. I hope you preform well in your classes."

Harry took the timetable and thanks Flitwick, and started to look it over as he slowly ate his food.

After reading the entire timetable, Harry put it down and pondered the classes that he had today. Firstly, he had potions with Professor Snape. Harry did not recall anyone named Snape, but he recalled that there were many teachers at the head table the previous night and concluded that Snape was probably one of them.

"Excuse me." Said Harry, turning to what he guessed was a second year further down the table. "Do you know who professor Snape is?"

"he is the one with all back robes and a nasty demeanor." He replied, turning to face Harry. "He doesn't like anyone except his Slytherins. He is neutral with us Ravenclaws, but is downright nasty with the Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's."

"Thanks." Harry stated, already thinking about what he was told. Was Snape bigoted? Was Harry going to have to deal with a prejudiced teacher for one of his favorite subjects? He felt some of his excitement drop upon realizing that potions may not be as enjoyable as he hoped.

Harry looked over the rest of his timetable, and noticed that continuing through the day he had charms with his head of house, and the transfiguration with McGonagall. He knew that McGonagall was a no nonsense individual, and would probably be a strict and competent teacher. He didn't know much about Flitwick, but considering the emphasis he put on studying and hard work he probably was at least decent.

Oblivious to the slowly growing number of students arriving in the hall for breakfast, Harry continued pondering his day until it was time to leave for his first class...

* * *

Harry walked deeper into the castle, where there were no windows and the atmosphere was chilly and cold. He arrived in front of a closed door where he was instructed to go for potions, and vaguely registered that along with his fellow Ravenclaws there were also the Hufflepuff first years as well. Harry was a bit lightened by this knowledge that he would not be sharing this class with the Slytherins(Draco Malfoy), and consequently might have some peace the work in.

Suddenly the door flew open and a cold draft hit the students.

"Come in." A deep voice stated from within the room. The students slowly filtered into the room, Harry being one of the first to enter. He chose a spot near the right side of the classroom, picking the table neither the farthest back nor the one up front. He did this because Harry had always preferred staying out of the spotlight whih many of the front seated students were exposed to. He also did not want to sit the farthest back because many students who sat in the rear of the classroom struggled much more than those seated closer to the instructor.

A boy Harry recalled being Terry Boot sat next to him at his table, and the two watched as the rest of the students filtered in and sat down. Once all of the students were seated, the professor started to take roll call. Once he got to Harry's name Snape stared at him for a moment, before continuing down the list.

"Throughout this class I can teach you to bottle fame." He started. "I can teach you how to bewitch the mind, ensnare it's senses. At least, for those with a certain..."

And here he paused for a moment, eyes darting to Harry for a brief moment.

"...…Predisposition" He finished, turning his eyes back to the class.

"Therefore." He continued. "I feel it is necessary to ask a few, preliminary questions to ensure that the students here are at least...mediocre in capabilities" He concluded.

"Mr. Potter" Snape begun. "Perhaps you could enlighten the class as to what happens when you combine asphodel and wormwood?"

Harry stared at him for a moment, a bit surprised at being singled out by the teacher before trying to remember if he had heard anything about those two ingredients. He finally remembered that he read about wormwood being a necessary ingredient in a sleeping potion known as Draught of Living Death. He did not know what asphodel was, but maybe it was another necessary ingredient?

"They create a sleeping potion know as Draught of Living Death." Harry answered, internally nervous that he was wrong.

Snape stared at him for a moment, before slightly jerking his head up and asking other students difficult questions. Most answered incorrectly, but Terry was correct in answering the location and purpose of a Bezoar. Snape then had the class copy down basic safety notes, and assigned a essay at least 2 feet long on proper conduct. At the end of the class, when Snape told everyone to leave, he glanced at Harry.

"Potter, stay behind" He ordered, as the rest of the kids hustled out.

Harry cleaned up his spot and packed up his equipment, and sat down in his chair.

"That answer was in the second year textbook." Snape began, once all the students were gone. "How did you know?"

"...I was really interested in potions, it's one of the courses I was most interested in." Harry stated. "I decided to get two extra textbooks at Flourish and Blotts near the end of the summer to read a bit ahead."

Snape stared at Harry for a moment, almost as if reevaluating him based on what he was told.

"Then I will hold to you higher standards. "He started after a lengthy silence. "If you have read more than the rest of your peers."

"Yes sir." Harry answered. They were silent for a moment, before Snape jerked his head to the door and Harry got up and left.

"He's not what I expected." Snape muttered, looking at where Harry has sat only moments before. "Maybe he has more of _her_ in him than I thought."

* * *

Harry was late to charms. After walking into class after Flitwick had already begun speaking, Harry was suddenly the center of attention for the class.

"Mr. Potter." Flitwick began. "May I ask why you are late for my class?"

"Sorry professor." Harry started. "Professor Snape held for back for a few minutes, it won't happen again."

"If it does happen again, I will take points." Flitwick responded, before turning his attention back to the class as Harry moved next to Terry.

They spent the rest of class with Flitwick going over the basic fundamental of charms, before stating that they would begin practicing a basic charm next class. As the students filtered out of the classroom, Harry stayed behind for a moment to talk with his head of head.

"Sorry about my tardiness professor." Harry said. "Professor Snape wanted to talk to me about how I knew the advanced answers he asked me. It took a couple of minutes which made me mate."

"Next time make sure to get a pass then." Flitwick answered, before asking "Why was he asking you advanced questions?"

"I don't know" Harry replied. "He said it was mentioned in the second year textbook, and I think he expected me to fail."

Flitwick stared at him for a moment, and Harry started to grow nervous.

"Do you mean to tell me that you are reading the second year course textbooks Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked.

"Ya, I read the first year books before the school year started, and decided to get a head start on next year's material." He responded,

Flitwick sat silent for a moment.

"have you read ahead in all of your courses? or just potions?" He questioned.

"I have gotten about halfway through my second year charms book." Harry started. "And I finished all the other first year textbooks, but I mostly focused on potions and charms."

Flitwick started at him for a moment, before letting out what sounded like a half chuckle.

"Good for you, Mr. Potter" He chuckled. "Keep working hard."

"Professor?" Harry started. "is there anyway I could learn more advanced material? What we are learning is somewhat easy for me."

Flitwick stood silently for a moment, before slowly beginning to speak.

"While I encourage all academic progression." He replied. "I don't have the time to teach extra material, and I know many of the other teachers would have the same dilemma."

Harry stood there for a moment, slightly upset that he could not receive any instructor help with some of the more advanced magic he was learning.

"Thank you professor." He stated, not quite able to hide is sadness. "I'll be going now."

Flitwick watched as Harry got up and walked out of the room, shook his head and got ready for his next class.

* * *

Harry's next class, transfiguration was slightly less interesting than charms and potions. Harry just couldn't muster the same enthusiasm with transfiguration. McGonagall(True to expectations), was a strict and unyielding teacher. She made it quite clear what would happen to any troublemakers, and not a sound escaped any of the students as she lectured on the importance of following instructions and not messing around.

After a lengthy lecture in the fundamental principles of transfiguration, which lasted well over an hour McGonagall assigned the first textbook homework. It was an introductory chapter, elevating safety as the utmost importance.

As the rest of the students got up and began departing from the room, Harry went up to McGonagall with a question in mind.

"Excuse me, Professor?" He started. "I was wondering if you could perhaps give me more advanced assignments. I have already read the assigned section, before the start of term."

McGonagall looked at him for a moment, before sighing and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"One of those students." She muttered so softly that Harry almost didn't hear, before looking back at him.

"I am sorry, Mr. Potter." She replied. "But I cannot show favorites to any particular student." McGonagall finished.

"Ok, then" Harry answered, after letting what said sink in. "Goodbye professor."

Harry walked out of the class, oblivious to McGonagall's softening eyes as she reflected on how much he looked like his parents.

* * *

Harry settled into a rhythm, as the days melted into weeks, and finally almost two months had passed. Harry continued to preform well in is classes, despite his opinion that the course material was below his level. He found defense against the dark arts to be a joke class, with more time spent being told how to run away than how to actually fight dark magic. The teacher, a stuttering man named Quirrell was always jumping at shadows and glancing at the door every so often.

Herbology was a unique class, but nothing more. While Harry found the magical plants they studied to be unique and sometimes amusing, he did not envision himself to be a magical gardener. He put effort in the class, but he was not losing sleep over Herbology.

Eventually the night of the Halloween Feast approached with many students becoming excited over the event. Harry was not one of those students, recalling his conversation with Flitwick over his absence from the celebration.

"Excuse me professor" Harry asked, having knocked on the door of his head of house's office. "I was wondering if I could speak to you for a moment."

"Mr. Potter of course, come in." He replied, circling the big A on the essay he was grading. "How may I help you today?"

Harry sat down in the chair opposite of Flitwick, before taking a deep breath.

"I was wondering If I could abstain from going to the Halloween Feast." He asked.

Flitwick was silent for a moment, before looking at Harry with an expression that might have been regret.

"Is it about your parents?" He asked. "Tonight is the night they passed away, isn't it."

Harry stared down at his lap, not bothering to answer the question.

"If you don't go to the feast then I must ask that you stay in the common room." Flitwick continued after a moment's pause. "Don't do anything that could get you or anyone else in trouble."

Harry nodded his head in thanks, before getting up to leave the room.

"Mr. Potter" Flitwick called as Harry reached for the door. "You aren't the only one who lost family that day."

And with that, Flitwick resumed grading as Harry left.

* * *

Nighttime arrived quickly, with the rest of Harry's classmates having already left for the feast. Harry contented himself near the fire, finishing up his second year transfiguration textbook. Finished the last paragraph of the best, Harry stood up cracking his bones. He would never admit it, but he was utterly bored. The majority of what they were learning in class was theory, with the few practical pieces of magic they were learning being either useless or easy. The rest of Harry's classmates did not share his opinion that the work was easy, with many cramming in homework and studying at the last moment.

Pushing thoughts of lazy peers out of his head, Harry paced around the common room remembering that Flitwick had told him not to leave.

'He won't notice if I take a little stroll.' Harry thought as he walked to the eagle portrait, moving past once it swung open.

Harry walked around the moving staircase, aimlessly wandering through the corridors until he got tired and sat down on a bench to catch his breath. As he sat there, he became aware of something other than his breathing or the sound of the pipes in the wall. It was a thumping sound, coming every few seconds. The thumping got louder, and Harry began to distinguish two distinct thumps coming in intervals every few seconds.

'Those are footsteps.' Harry concluded. 'But what creature could have such a massive body?'

Never one to let curiosity get the better of him, Harry decided to hide in a narrow doorway leading to an empty classroom with only his eyes visible around the corner. The lumbering footsteps became louder, until a large shadow filled up one end of the corridor. Harry watched shocked, as a massive creature walked past him, into what Harry vaguely recognized as the girls bathroom. The creature either had to be a giant or a troll based on what Harry knew.

Harry debated whether he should stay hidden or make a break for it.

'How fast can a troll run?!' Harry thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a scream originating from the girls bathroom, followed by what sounded like something heavy hitting a wall.

Harry turned to flee, glancing back in the direction that the troll had moved but halted in his steps. He glanced down the hall, and the back to the girls bathroom. Steadying himself Harry made his choice, he into the girls bathroom and saw the giant trying to hit a girl. Harry recognized her as Hermione, but could not look for long as the troll turned it's attention towards Harry.

'It's a lot bigger up close.' Harry thought, dodging just in time to avoid the massive club that was sent his way. Diving under the troll's feet, Harry looked quickly took out his wand and aimed as the troll turned to face him.

"AVIS" He shouted at the top of his lungs, watching as a flock of birds emerged and began to hassle the troll who began to swing it's club wildly around itself. Harry prepared another spell, trying to think of the correct one.

"Bombarda Maximina!" He hollered, watching as a ball of light emerged from his wand, and quickly sht towards the troll. Harry had no time to celebrate his success, as the spell made contact with the troll.

* * *

The air was dusty. That was the first thing Harry noticed. The second was that he was alive, and his chest hurt like hell. He felt someone pulling him, and as he was dragged Harry saw the body of the troll. It was lying on the ground, and there was a massive crater in it's side where Harry's spell made contact.

Harry's vision swam, and he fell into a half conscious state, he thought he saw several robed figures rush over to him. He thought that he heard crying in the distance, but that was all he heard when his vision faded to black and he was pulled under.

* * *

Harry awoke in the hospital, the light from the sun signifying that it was morning. Harry glanced about, and noticed that he wasn't alone in the hospital wing. Headmaster Dumbledore stood a distance off and upon noticing Harry was awake, made his way over.

"Harry, my boy." He started. "It is good to see you in better health. Madam Pomfrey spent many hours last night repairing the damage done to you." He paused.

"It was a close thing you know." He stated gravely. "A piece of on the ground impaled your chest, you had lost a lot of blood by the time we got to you."

Harry lifted the sheets, and saw his waist covered by several bandages.

"It was all healed, of course." Dumbledore continued. "And now that all is well, I would like to say thank you." He stopped for a moment and looked down on harry through his sparkling glasses.

"Without you, Ms. Granger could have suffered a terrible fate." He smiled. "True hero's are not always the stuff of legend. Sometime they are the ones that risk their lives for another."

Harry looked down at his lap, his face reddening with embarrassment.

"Don't look so meek." Dumbledore spoke again. "You saved your classmate, and for that I believe that you earned 50 points for Ravenclaw. Although I must say I believed your actions would have been better suited for a Gryffindor." He finished, smiling at Harry with pride in his twinkling eyes.

"Thank you sir." Harry spoke quietly.

"If you need anything Harry, please come and ask." Dumbledore replied, turning to leave.

Harry put his head back down on the pillow and smiled at the sound of the birds chirping, sun shining, and wind blowing. He wondered if anything could ruin this moment.

"HARRY!" Hermione's voice screamed. 'Of bloody course'

* * *

Time passed and word spread. Many whispered about how a troll had gotten into the school, with rumors spreading after someone saw Harry potter in the infirmary right after the troll was killed. They said that he got smashed by it's club, and that he had accidentally magic which killed the beast.

Out of the few that knew, none were willing to come forward with the true set of events, and gradually the rumors died down with people finding other news to gossip about.

Hermione had thanked him profoundly for saving her life, although Harry brushed it off as unnecessary. He questioned why she was there in the first place, and was told how Hermione was crying after being insulted by Ron Weasley. Apparently he had called her a know-it-all bookwork with no friends, after which Hermione ran crying to the bathroom. Something that Harry found interesting was that Apparently Neville tried to stand up for Hermione, but was overwhelmed by Ron's overbearing attitude.

Harry continued to advance faster than the curriculum could handle, and by the time Christmas rolled around he had finished all of his second year material. He was beginning to delve deeper into some of his third year charms and potions material, but still had time to go before he finished them.

* * *

Harry stood in the middle of an abandoned classroom, aiming at a desk in the center of the room. He pointed his wand at the and muttered a spell.

"Avifors." Harry muttered, watching as the desk transformed into a bird. his happiness at his success evaporated when he heard weak clapping behind him. He turned quickly, finding professor Quirrell standing their slowly clapping his hands.

"W-Well donne, MMr. Potter-r." Quirrell stuttered. "I Bbelieve t-that is a tthird yearr spell?" He asked.

"Yes sir." Harry responded, curious and somewhat anxious about what Quirrell would do. He watched as Quirrel flicked his wand, and the bird turned back into a desk.

"Y-you are q-quite far a-ahead, I-if I m-may say so m-myself." He continued. "D-did one o-of the older s-students teach y-you? O-or one of t-the teachers?"

Harry stared at Quirrell, wondering where this line of questioning was heading.

"No sir, I taught myself that spell." He answered.

Quirrell smiled, showing rows of yellow teeth.

"not many students have the motivation to look so far ahead" Quirrell spoke. "Not at Hogwarts anyway."

"I just wish that I could get some private tutoring or instructions on some of the more advanced magic. But none of the teachers say they have any available time."

Quirrell was silent for a moment, before looking at Harry with a neutral expression.

"Not at Hogwarts." Quirrell said quietly.

Harry's head snapped up to look Quirrell in the eyes.

"Where else could I go?" He asked Quirrell. "Everyone says that Hogwarts is the best school."

"And from a certain perspective it is." Quirrell grinned. "What is the point of a school Mr. Potter?"

"To teach." Harry replied, a bit confused by the random question.

"Exactly." Quirrell continued. "It is meant distribute knowledge and skills to a certain number of students. Now let me ask you, is the better school the one that teaches the most advanced subjects? Or the one that teaches the highest number of students?" He finished.

Harry mulled over the two points, think about the pros and cons of each. On one hand, the school to supplies the best education would have the most developed students on an individual level. However they would also end up with a lower number of spots for potential students, as the extra quality of their teaching would train time and resources. On the other hand, a school that taught a large number of students would succeed in delivering an education to a large group of individuals, however the trade off is that the quality of the education would be slightly reduced.

Making up his mind on which would be the better school, Harry looked at Quirrell.

"The school with more students." He answered, at which Quirrell nodded.

"Yes." He started. "Hogwarts is undeniable the best school, however it may not be the best place for _you."_ Quirrell looked at Harry again, as if making a final decision.

"If you want to receive the best education you can." He spoke. "Then I would suggest transferring to Durmstrang Institue."

Harry was confused, he had never heard of such a place before. He thought for a moment before returning his attention back to Quirrell.

"How do I get in?" He asked Quirrell with a determined expression.

"The best thing you could do is preform well in all of your classes." Quirrell answered. "Also recommendations from several of your professors would go a long way in ensuring your placement at Durmstrang."

Harry stared at Quirrell for several moments, before asking another question.

"What is the curriculum like there?" He wondered.

"The curriculum, some might call brutal." Quirrell admitted. "Some drop out. Some get injured. But many of the best and brightest wizards are nurtured there by the tough work."

Quirrell paused for a moment, looking away before looking back at Harry.

"They also promote the use of the dark arts." Quirrell finally finished, falling silent and observing Harry.

Harry stood conflicted, knowing that he needed more information before he could make a final decision.

"Thank you Professor." He started. "I will certainly take your advice into consideration." He paused. "until later then, professor." He concluded, walking past Quirrell out the door.

He never noticed Quirrell smiling at his retreating back, and also never realized that Quirrell had stopped stuttering.

* * *

Harry spent the next several nights browsing the library for any information he could find on Durmstrang Institute. He found out several interesting details about Durmstrang from his readings. Firstly it was a school that promoted the use of the dark arts, and did not permit the entrance of muggleborns. He also discovered that the dark wizard Grindlewald had used the school as one of his fortresses. Harry also learned that the school did not usually accept international students from as far a Britain, which worried him.

Harry walked to professor Quirrell's office before the evening feast one day, and braced himself before knocking on the door.

"C-come in." He heard Quirrell say. Turning the knob, Harry entered the office and sat down across from Quirrell.

"Professor, I was wondering how I would get in to Durmstrang? As I heard they do not usually take students from so far away." Harry questioned.

"N-normally they so not, b-but I k-know someone t-there who c-could get y-you in." Quirrell stated.

"Really, you would do that?" Harry questioned dubiously, a bit surprised that Quirrell would go out of his way for him.

"I-I see a b-bit of m-me in you Mr. Potter." Quirrell Replied. "I w-wish I c-could have g-gone to Durmstrang if I had the c-choice."

"Is there anything else I need to do?" Harry questioned further.

"T-there will l-likely be an e-entrance t-test." Quirrell stuttered. "I-I can m-make you a l-list of spells t-that might b-be on it." He finished.

"Thank you Professor." Harry finished, getting up to leave.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter." Quirrell murmured as Harry left his office.

* * *

Harry walked up to the headmaster's office late one Friday evening nearing the end of march, looking at the gargoyle in front of the door questioningly. As if in response, the gargoyle jumped aside and Harry hesitantly made his way inside the office. He noticed Dumbledore sitting behind a large desk, and next to him perched a large red bird. It took Harry a moment to realize that it was a phoenix and he almost lost his composure upon seeing a legendary creature just sitting there. Prying his attention away from the majestic bird Harry looked at the Headmaster.

"What brings you to my office, Mr. Potter?" He asked curiously.

"Headmaster." Harry began tentatively. "I don't know the proper way to say this, but I want to transfer."

Dumbledore stared at him, the candy that he was eating lay forgotten on the table.

"What." Dumbledore replied, a bit shocked. "Why would you want to transfer from Hogwarts?"

"...…. I don't believe it is the best place for me." Harry responded. "I believe I could learn better somewhere else."

"Where?" Spoke Dumbledore after a lengthy pause.

"Durmstrang institute." Harry replied, a bit nervous on what the headmaster would say. "I believe that Durmstrang could allow me the reach my potential the best."

Dumbledore started at him for a moment, as if weighing something in his head.

"Harry...…..You know that Durmstrang is a dark arts school, right?" He asked. "They are very exclusive of their members."

"I have preformed exceptionally well this year, and I have already started looking ahead for what may be required of me for my entrance exam." Harry finished.

"Do you believe that Hogwarts is a bad school?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, it is just not the right school or me." replied Harry, thinking about his discussion with Quirrell many months ago.

"What do you need from me." Dumbledore spoke after a lengthy silence. "Why did you come to me?"

"I was wondering, if I finish the rest of the year with the same performance as I have managed so far." Harry started. "If you could write your approval for my transfer.."

Dumbledore gazed sadly at Harry, looking more tired than he had just moments ago.

"Is this what you truly want?" He spoke tiredly.

"...Yes." Harry answered.

"very well, I will write the letter. If you truly plan to go through with this, then I would recommend getting several of your other teachers to write letters as well."

"I already have sir." Harry responded, recalling the reactions his teachers had.

Flitwick had fallen out his chair in shock. It would have been amusing if not for the seriousness of the conversation. He had proceeded to start rapid firing questions about why Harry wanted to transfer.

Harry simply responded with "It's what I want."

Snape had stared at him for a moment, and the jerkily nodded his head. Harry was surprised that after his first confrontation that Snape had simply reverted to the occasional tough question and harsh grading methods. In other words, just the kind of teacher Harry wanted.

McGonagall had the most over the top and amusing reaction. Her eyes got wide, her mouth fell open, and she stared at him for several moments. It took Harry the better part of half an hour to convince her that this was the best choice for him. IN the end she was still unconvinced but agreed to write her letter when she noticed his resolve.

Dumbledore stared at Harry for several moments.

"Very well, then." He said. "I will write the form for your transfer, and send it to Durmstrang."

"Thank you sir." Harry said quietly, moving to leave.

As Harry left he felt eyes on the back of his lead, accompanied by a weird feeling in his head. The feeling soon abated, leaving Harry with a confused feeling as he left the headmaster's office.

Watching Harry depart, Dumbledore felt conflicted about what he agreed to do, before realizing something crucial.

'Quirrell.' He thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer : I own nothing except my OC's.**

 **Once again, I may shift small details such as in which order Harry takes his exams, and similar details.**

 **Review if that bugs you. Or don't. It's up to you.**

 **Also, I again apologize if these first chapters are lacking detail or certain scenes. I really want to get Harry to Durmstrang before the year is over.**

 **Still determining pairings, will have them figured out by the end of thanksgiving.**

"= speech.

'=thought.

 _Italicized = ancient runes word._

* * *

Harry spent the remainder of his time until the finals continuing to perform well in class, as well as beginning to research the spells and theories that Quirrell had sent him. Harry recalled what Quirrell said to him after giving him the list.

"Let's keep this just between us." He said. Harry didn't know why he would want to keep it a secret. Was he afraid that it could compromise his job?

Nothing on the list seemed particularly dangerous, nothing serious enough to warrant punishment. The material was relatively advanced, and Harry was unable to determine the purpose of several of the spells given to him.

All of the teachers he asked recommendations for had delivered. Headmaster Dumbledore had followed through with his promise, and had sent a letter to the Durmstrange headmaster, Igor Karkaroff. After doing some 'light' research into the man, Harry determined that he was a member of the death eaters. Former member, to be precise. Apparently he had ratted out some of his compatriots to save his own skin. No doubt that rubbed his fellow dark wizards the wrong way.

The first final to arrive had been potions. Throughout the months since Harry first stepped first into class, potions had been both fulfilling as well as somewhat disappointing. The experience was everything Harry has hoped for but at the same time he felt restrained by the pace at which he was going. It was not that his classmates were dull, far from it. It was just that they seemed so enthused by meaningless activities.

Harry had never been much of a sports person, only occasionally taking a walk around the castle after hours stuck in a book or practicing spells in a empty room. Quidditch seemed so arbitrary. While the idea of travelling at fast speeds in the air may have it's appeal, Harry found that the game just didn't have much purpose. What is the point of scoring goals if the whole game could be won by one person catching the snitch?

During his many hours studying in the library, Harry noticed something particular. He noticed Neville, Hermione, and that Ron Weasley kid spending an increasing amount of time in the library searching the history section. He had no idea what they were searching for, but they were not subtle. Even from four tables away Harry could hear them mention something about a Cerberus, as well as talking about Nicholas Flamel.

Harry had no idea what could possible link the famous alchemist to a three head dog, and he had no interest in finding out. Leaving the three to their musings, Harry returned his attention back to reviewing for finals.

After his potions final which Harry would never have admitted was slightly more difficult than he anticipated, the following day was charms. Harry breezed past this final both in the practical and theory sections, content with his knowledge of this class. The next day was the transfiguration final, which was by far the hardest out of all the subjects that Harry took.

Herbology, while not Harry's best subject proved to be less than a challenge, as Harry was able to get through most of it based off of observation in the class. The rest he was able to figure out with common sense and logic. the final for history of magic, the class taught by the ghost Binns was less than exciting. The whole year the ghost of a man lectured on about bloody goblin rebellions. All Harry had to do was repeat the same stories he had heard several times in class and his success was guaranteed.

Finally, Astronomy was one of the easiest and most fun course in Harry's view. He didn't care about the stars themselves, but he had always been a fan of sci-fi movies like Star Wars, and Blade Runner. Therefore, keeping that in mind Harry studied the star with enthusiasm, imagining the galaxy filled with futuristic ships and cities. Once the time came for the astronomy final Harry was ready and was content with his work.

* * *

Four days after his last final, the morning leading up the farewell feast Professor Flitwick walked up to Harry with a questioning gaze.

Mr. Potter" He began. "I was wondering if you could join me in my office after breakfast? I have matters to discuss with you."

Harry looked at his head of house.

'Soon to be former head of house.' Harry thought. He nodded his head, and watched as Flitwick moved on and began handing back final reports to the other students. Harry assumed that he wanted to give him his report card privately due to his transfer.

After finishing breakfast when the first students began to rise and leave, Harry stood up and made his way out of the great hall and towards his head of house's office. Arriving at the door he raised his hand to knock, but halted when a stray thought struck him.

'This may be the last time I knock on this door.' Harry thought.

He steeled himself, and knocked on the door one last time.

"Come in." He heard. As Harry entered he couldn't help but feel bad for the situation he put the staff at Hogwarts in. He knew that they tried their best, and that his decision to leave would be like a slap in the face to their hard work. But he also knew that if there was a chance he could advance further at Durmstrang than at Hogwarts then he would take it.

"I took the liberty of sending your scores to Durmstrang." He began, with an almost sullen tone. "They replied that their response would arrive sometime within late July."

"Thank you." Harry spoke.

"And before I forget, the headmaster wanted to speak to you about something if you could meet with him after this." Flitwick said.

The two sat in silence for several moments, before Flitwick reached under his desk and took something out.

"On that note, the headmaster wanted me to give this to you." Flitwick said, revealing the object to be a large photo album with a moving picture on front. Harry's words caught in his throat upon seeing the subject of the photo. Or subjects, in this case. Because on that picture was a picture of two people Harry could only assume were his parents, smiling up at him. Flipping to the first page, Harry smiled upon seeing numerous of his parents happy, content, together. Harry's hands shook slightly, and with great will he forced down the tear that wanted to move down his cheek.

"Thank you, sir." He whispered, breaking gaze with the happy couple in the pictures to look at his head of house one last time. "Thank you."

Flitwick nodded slightly, before lifting a card in his hand.

"Here are your final grades for this year." He started. "If you are worried about how you did, don't be. You did exceptional."

Harry took the report and placed it in his robes before turning around and heading to the door, but halted as he opened it.

"Thank you sir, for everything." He spoke, for the first time truly appreciating what Flitwick had done for him.

"Goodbye Mr. Potter." Flitwick responded, accompanied by what might have been a slight tremble of the lip.

Harry left.

* * *

Before heading to the headmaster's office, Harry paid one last stop to professor Snape's office. After knocking and entering, he was surprised to see an empty room. he walked in and glanced around to see if Snape was anywhere in the room. Upon determining that he was alone, Harry sat down and waited for Snape to show up. A quarter of an hour later, Snape entered the room, pausing upon seeing Harry sitting there.

"Potter." He spoke at last. "Why are you here?"

"I came to say, thanks." Harry answered.

"Thanks?" Snape spoke after staring at Harry for several moments.

"Yes." Harry replied. "I know you don't like me, although I don't know why. But despite that you were still able to teach me without letting your dislike affect your teaching too much. For that, you have my thanks."

Snape stared again, before moving behind his desk and sitting down.

"So you are transferring to Durmstrang..." He started. "Hogwarts not good enough for you?"

"Hogwarts is a better school." Harry began. "But Durmstrang is better...for me."

Neither one spoke, before Snape jerked his head and Harry rose and prepared to leave.

"You aren't your father." Those murmured words halted Harry for the briefest of moments, before he resumed his walk out of the office letting the door close shutting behind him.

* * *

Harry made his next stop to the headmaster's office, slightly curious about what Dumbledore could want to speak to him about. He walked in after the gargoyle moved aside, to sit across from Dumbledore once again, the phoenix nowhere in sight.

"So, you will not be returning to Hogwarts next year?" Dumbledore began, phrasing it as a question, but both of them knowing it was a statement.

"Yes, if Durmstrang accepts me." Harry replied. "Then I shall start term there next fall."

"I was meaning to ask you." Dumbledore's eyes hardened for the briefest of moments. "What made you chose Durmstrang out of all of the wizarding schools?"

Harry wondered if this had anything to do with what he heard happened to Quirrell. Apparently he had decided to leave in the middle of the night, with all of his possession still in the school. Most took the statement at face value, but Harry was not so sure. He realized that Quirrell knew more than he thought in class, with the spells and instructions given to Harry being far stretch from the stuttering mess of a man who couldn't pronounce a spell correctly half the time. This, coinciding with the knowledge that the famous 'golden trio'(Neville, Hermione, and Ron) were somehow involved in the mess lead Harry to the conclusion that there was some foul play.

"I...…...read about it in a book." Harry answered. Dumbledore stared at him for a moment, and Harry felt that tapping sensation in his head again.

'Is...is he doing this?' Harry thought. He averted his eyes and the feeling dissipated.

"Well then." Dumbledore said, with a tone that suggest he did not quite believe Harry's reply. "I hope you find what you are looking for in Durmstrang Mr. Potter. You may go."

With that parting, Harry stood up and left the office, a bit unsettled by the knowledge that both times he entered the office he felt a buzzing in his head. Heading to his dorm, Harry took out his transcript and looked it over.

 _Astronomy: O_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts: O_

 _Herbology: EE_

 _History of magic: EE_

 _Potions: O_

 _Charms: O_

 _Transfiguration: O_

Harry placed down his report and gazed off into space. He was a bit miffed about the history of magic grade, wishing he had a teacher that was both competent and alive. Turning his attention to Herbology, Harry grudgingly admitted that he probably didn't study as much as he could have for that final and vowed not to make the same mistake.

* * *

The farewell feast commenced later than day, With numerous dishes and pastries on display for any student to take. Harry's appetite was minimal, with everything he had learned during the day dominating his thoughts.

'Was...was he in my head?' Harry thought, recalling how Dumbledore called him to his office. Harry remembered the buzzing feeing in his head which had only ever happened twice, both of which were in the headmaster's presence.

As Harry sat in contemplation, he failed to notice the subject of his thoughts rise from his seat. Only when he began to speak did Harry turn his focus away from his musings.

"Another year gone by." He started. "And now it is time to award the house cup." With the points as such." He paused

"Fourth, Gryffindor with 312 points." The clapping as slow and halfhearted, nobody feeling much enthusiasm for the last place house.

"Hufflepuff, with 352 points." The clapping was louder, but still not quite what one might call happy.

"Second, Slytherin, with 426 points." Harry smirked, realizing what that meant.

"And lastly in first place, Ravenclaw with 472 points." Three quarters of the hall were clapping enthusiastically, with Slytherin putting in marginal effort in their clapping. Harry smiled and reflected on his philosophy that had ensured Ravenclaw the extra points. He figured that as long as each student earned a point or two, the more important action was not losing points. It didn't hurt that Harry had been the only one in Ravenclaw who had received points from Snape (It was only one), but every point helps.

"Yes, Well done Ravenclaw. Well done Ravenclaw however, there are a few last minute points to consider." Harry froze, and stared at the headmaster with his mouth hanging open.

"To Ms. Hermione Granger, for use of cool intellect, while others were in grave danger." He started. "Fifty points."

Harry slumped in his seat, knowing instantly that favorites were being played and that Ravenclaw was never going to win.

"To Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best game of chess Hogwarts has seenfor many years." He continued. "Fifty points."

'That is the dumbest reason for gaining fifty points ever.' Harry though snidely.

"And thirdly, to Mr. Neville Longbottom. " Dumbledore spoke again. "For pure love, and outstanding courage I award Griffindor house sixty points."

"We're tied." Harry whispered, eliciting small gasps from his classmates.

Dumbledore paused for a moment, and at the suspense of both the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables stood still for what seemed like a hours. Harry thought that Dumbledore's eyes moved towards him for the briefest of moments, before returning to the rest of the hall.

"On the subject of bravery." He began. "There is no greater courage than risking one's life, to save another. I award ten points...To Mr. Harry Potter, for fighting to save the life of one his classmates, at the risk to his own." Silence, before the hall erupted into cheers with Ravenclaw turning unusually wild. Gryffindor appeared a bit put out over their loss, but Harry saw Neville and Hermione clapping enthusiastically with Ron grudgingly clapping as well.

Turning to Dumbledore, Harry saw him nod his head slightly, and with a small smile Harry turned to his cheering housemates. Shaking hands and laughing with several of his year mates and even some older year students, Harry felt a pang of regret for his decision to leave.

As the students began to return to their houses after the feast, Harry made sure to take in the details that he had so carelessly ignored until now. The fineness of the architecture, the quality of the paintings and sculptures. The complexity of the school, and the number of students who passed through these halls every day. It all made Harry think about how much he ignored during his time acquiring knowledge.

Laying down in his bed for one last night, Harry looked out the window across from his bed, seeing the light from the castle illuminating the skyline.

* * *

The following morning, Harry awoke later than usual. After proceeding to rise and dress, he was disturbed from his routine by the yawn of one of his dormmates as he woke up. Harry vaguely recognized him as Terry Boot, whom he had not exchanged more than a dozen sentences with during the school year.

"Going to breakfast?" Terry asked with a yawn. "Mind If I go with you?"

"Sure." Harry responded before turning and walking out of the dorm, hearing the sound of Terry hastily dressing and following him out moments later. They walked down the winding staircases, before arriving in the great hall and partaking in breakfast. As Harry ate he heard many of the other students promising to write and visit each other in the coming summer months. Lowering his eyes to the table, Harry stilled for a moment before slowly resuming his breakfast.

Following the last meal, the students were directed out the courtyard where they stepped into carriages pulled by what appeared to be large dark horses with wings. Harry stared at them for a moment, a bit disturbed by the way their empty eyes looked around them.

"So, you can see them?" A voice disturbed Harry's morbid train of thought. "My condolences on whoever you lost."

Harry turned, before seeing a older student who he vaguely remembered being a prefect in Hufflepuff. He registered what the prefect said, before turning to face the creatures once more.

'So these are thestrals.' Harry thought, recalling how in one of the advanced books Quirrell had sent there was a brief mention of a creature who was only visible to those who had seen death.

'They look more...….disturbing than I imagined them to be.' He continued, not noticing the prefect join his friends in another carriage.

Harry climbed into an empty carriage, surprised when at the last moment two girls joined him in his carriage. He could not place a name with their faces, but he vaguely recognized them as members of the Slytherin first years. They didn't speak to him, which suited Harry just find. The journey to the train passed in silence, with neither side willing to start a conversation.

When the carriage came to a stop behind a dozen others, Harry and the two girls started at each other for a moment before he took the initiative.

"Ladies first." He spoke quietly. The brunette snorted, and without a backwards glance or "Thanks" the two departed the carriage and made their way to the train.

'Nice to talk with you.' Harry thought sarcastically, before making his way to the middle of the train and boarding. Upon finding an empty compartment, he sat down, took out a book and prepared for the long ride.

* * *

For the first two hours, there was blessed silence as Harry started the introductory paragraph on the basics of ancient runes in one of his books. He had started researching runes when he learned of many ancient spells that were only written in the ancient language. Despite the grumblings he heard about the uselessness of learning a dead language, Harry resolved to do a brief can of the subject. He saw no harm in learning a language that shaped the beginnings of magicals understanding of magic, and a comprehension of ancient runes may lead to unlocking. new and unique spells and potions in the future.

Harry didn't want to be overly optimistic, because the language had been dead for centuries and virtually all known forms of magic had been translated into easier languages. But he believed it was worth a shot, maybe something interesting would come out of his learnings.

Harry was interrupted from his examination of _Eihwaz_ and it's relation to defense, when the door swung open and Hermione and Neville walked in accompanied by a hesitant looking Ron.

"Hey Harry." Neville started. "We just wanted to stop by for a moment."

"Why are we here again?" Ron asked, looking at Harry with slight anger in his eyes.

Harry wondered what he did to warrant those feelings, when Hermione sighed and looked at the other two.

"Could you two give me a moment?" She asked. "You go back to the compartment, I just need to speak to Harry for a minute."

The two stared at Hermione, before glancing at Harry and then back to her. They turned around and left, Ron shooting one last glare at Harry before the door shut.

"Sorry about Ron." She began. "He is still upset over losing the house cup."

Harry nodded, but mentally was a bit perturbed that someone could hold a grudge over a meaningless competition. Was Ron really so petty that he could hate someone for winning? Or did he see Harry as stealing his glory?

"It's fine." Harry smiled. "Why did you come here?"

Hermione was silent for a moment, during which Harry noticed that her ears turned slightly red.

"I just wanted to say thank you...…...again." She began. "No one had ever stood up for me like you did on Halloween. Well, except my parents but that's different."

Harry just stared at her, and taking a deep breath she continued.

"Ron may not like you, he thinks your a git." She continued. "But you risked your life for me, and I just wanted to let you know that means a lot to me." She trailed off, before turning and hastily leaving the compartment.

"See you next year!" She hollered down the section of the train.

'You'll be disappointed then' Harry thought, before smiling indulgently at her happy tone. It was far stretch from the girl who answered every question and told off other students for the smallest things, with her being all the better for it.

Returning his attention to his book, Harry was again disturbed less than an hour later by a far less pleasant individual.

Malfoy, flanked by his two guerrillas opened the door and stared at Harry for a moment.

"Potter." He drawled, with a tone that tried to be confident but felt rehearsed to Harry. "I was surprised to see the Longbottom and his cronies enter your compartment, what did you talk about?"

"They were just congratulating me on winning the house cup." He answered, seeing no reason to tell the truth.

"Aw yes, risking your life for someone else are you?" He spoke snidely. "Sounds like a Gryffindor thing to do."

Harry felt no response he could make would be pleasant, barring sending a nasty hex Malfoy's way. But that would have repercussions. So he just sat silent.

"Not in a talking mood eh?" Draco's smirk widened. "Perhaps we can motivate you to be a proper wizard."

the two buffoons stepped forward, their intention clear. however what they did not know was that as Malfoy spoke, Harry quietely cast one of the most advanced spells recommended on the list given to him by Quirrell.

"Confundo" He whispered, pointing at the larger of the two boys. The response was...…..interesting. The boy turned to around the face Draco, and swung with his meaty fists knocking Draco to the ground. The other brute turned surprised, and tried restraining his companion as Draco hastily stood and made a mad dash, with the charmed buffoon giving chase with the other one vainly trying to restrain him.

Shutting the door with a laugh, Harry recalling what went through his mind as he cast the spell. He had imagined that the brute would imagine that he was Draco, and that Draco was him. Therefore when the charm was cast after Malfoy gave the order to attack him, the boy thought that Draco was Harry and attacked him as a result. A bit of contrapasso would go a long way in teaching Malfoy a lesson.

The rest of the ride passed in blissful silence, with only the occasional prefect running by(no doubt dealing with the mess Draco made) and before long the train had pulled into King's Cross station. Taking his trunk and departing from the platform via the barrier, arriving in the nonmagical section of the station.

* * *

After experiencing sometime so strange and wonderful as magic for the greater part of a year, Harry found settling back into his room at the orphanage the be a somewhat lacking endeavor. Before he learned about the magical world Harry had contented himself to let the days move by, without caring for the simple moments in life.

After seeing the activities and 'fun' that his fellow witches and wizards had at Hogwarts, Harry decided to pay for attention to his day to day lifestyle. He had never been very close to the other kids at the orphanage, by the time he was at the age where kids began making friends Harry had already began putting more effort in education than in socializing.

This lead to Harry being something of an outsider in the orphanage. He wasn't bullied or harassed by the other kids, they just didn't know how to relate to him, and vice versa. The students spent as little time on homework as possible, preferring to play games or read either sci fi/fantasy novels instead. While Harry disapproved, He could know understand their standpoint.

After learning magic, the subjects being taught in school didn't hold the same appeal that they used to, with Harry's focus being diverted to more magical subjects. The feelings he now harbored for 'mundane' subjects were now similar to other children, but for much different reasons. While Harry had more interesting and exciting subjects to pursue, the other children were content to wallow in childish obliviousness.

But that was changing, as many of those who were of similar age to Harry began to shift their attentions away from the more juvenile activities to more academic and social ones. Harry didn't really take note of this, until one day he(and the others who had turned eleven) were told to say behind after the meager breakfast was finished. The rest of the orphans filed out, with only a dozen or so still remaining after they had left.

Ms. Chelsa cleared her throat, before beginning to speak.

"You are all turning 12." She lectured. "Or close enough anyway. That means that you have earned more independence than the younger children."

Ms. Chelsa paused upon say this, and looked at one kid in the back who Harry vaguely recalled was a troublemaker.

"Since we are so close to the shopping district." She resumed. "A quick five minute walk in fact, starting tomorrow I will allow you in pairs accompanied by an older teenager to travel there and look around."

She raised her eyebrows at the kids, and prepared to give the inevitable warning.

"I don't have to tell you all to maintain your best behavior, do I?" She stated.

All the kids shook their heads, with Harry noticing that several of the kids seemed like they were given unlimited candy with their new freedom.

'Wait until they see what it is really like, going out with no money.' Harry thought morosely.

Until less than a year ago, Harry thought he was one of these kids, with no known relatives or future planed ahead for him. Then magic happened and now, ulthough his future is still uncertain, Harry believed that he would find his path eventually now. He couldn't say the same for some of his fellow orphans. Although many of the younger children held onto their naïve innocence and their childish attitudes, many of the older kids closer to entering the 'real world' had developed worrying traits common with those going through depression. Hunched shoulders, baggy eyes, tired expressions, and an overall lethargic attitude contributed to person without hope.

Shaking his head to clear away his bitter thoughts, Harry left along with everyone else after the talk. Although he was excited about the extra freedom, Harry had to admit that this was nothing special, as he had travelled to Diagon Alley by himself the previous summer due to the obliviousness of the staff. They tried, but with over a hundred orphans from all age groups with a limited staff attention was often light or stretched.

Also, Harry was one of the more tempered and well behaved children, so it was only natural that the staff turned their focus onto those children who either caused trouble or were younger than him.

The next day, after a quick breakfast and another lecture on the importance of safety and how everyone who was twelve needed to stay in pairs, Harry joined up with his assigned 'chaperone'. He was a seventeen years old, soon to be a grown adult who would leave the orphanage forever. Harry had never really learned the names of most of the orphans, with the occasional name being tossed around the place with Harry forgetting a while latter. He believed the guy was named Tom, but that was it and was a educated guess at best.

The two left the orphanage, waking down the sidewalk in the direction of the shopping district.

"So, your turning twelve soon, eh?" Tom asked, trying to muster up a smile but failing horribly. "I remember when I was turning twelve, thought I had all the time in the world."

Harry didn't respond for a moment, thinking over what he heard in his head.

"What are you going to do when you leave." He questioned.

"I am going to a remedial college outside the city." He responded sullenly. "I never preformed well in school, and I guess there is someone out there who wants to try and make a decent citizen out of me."

He sniffed, probably upset over the poor effort he put into his school work over the years which had now returned to bite him where it hurt most.

"But enough about me." He said, making an obvious attempt at changing the conversation. "I heard you go to some boarding school somewhere now."

"Ya." Harry replied. "My parents signed me up before...….well you know."

"That's nice." Tom said, but with a slight undertone of jealousy in his voice. "I wish my parents left me a scholarship..."

Harry stayed silent, knowing that there was no good reply for that statement. The two passed shops selling all sorts of toys and pastries, with children not from the orphanage running in and out of shops. Their parents followed them in and out, laughing with them and buying them all sorts of expensive looking toys and foods.

Harry wondered what was the point of allowing orphans to see such amazing things for sale, but being unable to buy them. Was it just lack of foresight? Or was the habit from before the deterioration of the orphanage when maybe there was extra money to go around.

letting out a sigh, Tom looked the a group a teenage girls that Harry roughly estimated looked to be anywhere from seventeen to nineteen. He smiled wolfishly to them as he passed, although the girls appeared less than thrilled by his expression.

"What was that about?" Harry asked, a bit bewildered by Tom's actions.

"You'll know when your older." Tom smiled, the first truly genuine expression he made towards Harry so far. "Maybe even as soon as next year."

Harry stayed quiet, thinking if this behavior had something to do with why many of the older students in Hogwarts talked about going into broom closets so frequently.

Turning back to the Orphanage after a good half hour of walking around, Harry passed a familiar section of buildings and with a sudden realization noticed the Leaky Cauldron there. Staring at the entrance to the magical world, Harry turned to Tom with a question in mind.

"Hey Tom." He started, with a idea in mind. "Want to go into that tavern over there?"

Tom looked at where Harry pointed, and had a confused expression on his face.

"What are you talking about?" He answered. "There's no tavern there, just two bakeries."

Tom stared at Harry as if he was mad, before moving on past the block with Harry running to catch up.

'That was weird.' Harry thought. 'I guess my book was right about muggles not being able to see the Leaky Cauldron.'

Walking back to the orphanage, right before entering Tom turned to look directly at Harry.

"Make sure you enjoy being young while it lasts." He said. "You won't be young forever."

And with those words he walked back into the orphanage, returning to his room in a different part of the building than Harry's.

Sighing, Harry returned to him room, and stood frozen for a split second upon noticing there was a visitor. Resting in the open window frame was a jet black owl. It looked substantially more majestic and professional than the owl that had delivered Harry's Hogwarts letter, with a proud expression clearly visible even on an owl's face.

Taking the letter and offering the owl a treat(He read that it was good conduct to keep such treats at his residence for just the occasion) Harry sat down at his desk and proceeded to open the letter.

 _Dear Mr. Harry Potter._

 _You have been accepted as a transfer student to Durmstrang Institute, enclosed below are a list of required materials necessary for your education. A portkey will be sent on September 3, which will activate on September 5 at 11:00am British standard time on the dot. Once arrived, we will conduct your placement exam to determine the level of your classes._

 _Please note that should you entrance exam results prove unsatisfactory, then you will be expelled from Durmstrang Institute permanently._

 _Sincerely, Headmaster Igor Karkaroff._

Harry placed the letter down, sitting still for a moment as he thought about the possibilities he had if he passed the entrance exam. Examined the requirements, Harry's mind was boggled by the sheer number of texts that were listed.

'There are twice as many books than what Hogwarts required.' Harry thought, stunned for a moment. Several of the books Harry reconigzed from Quirrell's list, while others he recalled seeing either in the Hogwarts library or in Flourish and Blotts. WIth Hogwarts library now being unavailable to him, Harry decided to pay a trip to Diagon Alley soon to see if he could find all of the books there. He tried to remain optimistic, but several of the books listed did not seem likely to be in a common bookstore.

Putting his upcoming trip to Diagon Alley to the side of his mind for a moment, Harry began preparing his timeframe for what he needed to accomplish before the stated date.

* * *

Walking out of Flourish and Blotts, Harry couldn't help but be disappointed that many of his required texts were unavailable in Diagon Alley. Walking past a opening between two stores, Harry decided to take a detour off the main shopping district. The street he took brought him to a dark road, with few light sources and several obscured figures walking at a brisk pace around.

'Textbook definition of shady." Harry thought.

Continuing down the street, Harry glanced at each store display as he passed, eventually arriving at one with several worn or torn books on display. Pausing for a moment, Harry saw a large tome and realizing that it was one of his required texts.

Walking into the shop with a decrepit sign labeled it as **Borgin and Burkes,** Harry immediately realizing that he was the only one there. About to turn and leave, Harry caught sight of a large collection of books in one corner of the shop. Passing by many old trinkets and items whose functions remained unknown, Harry arrived at the bookstack.

Glancing around, and noticing that nobody was there Harry began looking through the books, noting with surprise that three of the required texts(the last books Harry needed) were there.

Picking up the three books and moving to what Harry assumed what the counter, he let the tomes slam on the counter. The sound and small dust swirl it created initially went unanswered, until a shady and wiry man stepped out from a back room and stared at Harry.

"I don't serve children." He spoke with an undercurrent of superiority. "Get out of here."

"I would like to purchase these books." Harry responded, motioning to the books on the counter. "I can pay."

The man smiled, but Harry noticed him going for his wand. Taking his own out, Harry watched as the man froze and held up his hands.

"These books won't come cheap." He responded. "They'll each cost you 150 galleons."

Harry stared at the man, refusing to believe curriculum books could cost so much.

"Do you want the money or not.?" Harry replied. "I'll give you 50 galleons, no more."

Although Harry maintained his cool demeanor, he was somewhat concerned. He only had the leftover galleons from his first trip to Gringotts, which now totaled less than 200 galleons in his expandable bag. Harry had acquired his vault key from McGonagall before he left Hogwarts, but he had not made a trip back as of yet. He would remedy that soon.

"That's a robbery." The man said, staring at Harry. "I'll go as low as 75 galleons, if you can't pay than get out."

Internally panicked, Harry internally debated what to do. He needed those books, and decided to make one last ditch effort at bargaining.

"I'll go as high as 65 galleons, last offer." Harry tried, giving careful observation to the man's body language.

The two stared at each other for a moment, before the man jerked his head and handed out his hand. Taking five galleons out of the bag, Harry deposited the rest on the counter, watching in slight disgust as the man greedily swept the money onto his side of the counter.

"Nice doing business with you." He stated, not even glancing at Harry.

Taking hold of the three large tomes, Harry put them under one arm and began to walk towards the exit. But, right before he reached the exit, he looked into one of the mirrors on the wall. Noticing the man reaching into his cloak for something, Harry turned wary and took firm hold of his wand.

The man snapped off a spell at Harry, which he quickly recognized was the stunning spell. The counter on the tip of his tongue, Harry whipped out his hand and intercepted the spell which ricochet off a wall before smashing a glass vase on the other side of the room.

Turning to face the man again, Harry raised his wand with Incendio on his tongue, prepared for a fight. However, the man threw down his wand and raised his hands high in the air.

"Sorry!" He squealed, looking terrified of what would happen. "I didn't think..."

"I'd notice!?" Harry snarked, looking ready to send the spell.

"please just leave!" The man spoke, losing his superior and powerful countenance and appearing as a frail man before retreating to the back room.

Harry stared at him for a moment, stuck figuring out whether the man believed that he would just let this slide before giving out a sigh and walking towards to exit. Without removing his hand from his wand, Harry almost made it to the exit before the door slammed open and a blonde man walked in. HE past the storekeeper to shame with his prideful strides and superior attitude.

'Why does he look familiar...…..ow dear.' Harry thought, upon seeing a familiar blonde kid walk in after the man. 'Draco Malfoy, and who can only be his father.'

They did share a striking resemblance, both with light blonde hair, and prideful walks that looked all little too rehearsed. The only difference was that while Draco was an annoyance at most, his father looked ready to deal some damage.

Staring at Harry the man looked him over as if judging whether Harry was worthy of being in his presence before.

"Lucius Malfoy." He drawled, holding out his hand. "Who might you be?"

Harry stared at the outstretched arm for a moment, before taking firm hold and staring into Lucius's eyes.

"Harry Potter." He replied, not quite hiding his amusement as Lucius retracted his hand like it was burned.

Lucius stared at him as if he had completely changed while Draco stared at him with loathing, as if recalling their last encounter on the Hogwarts express.

"Yes Mr. Potter, Draco's told me all about you and your...….encounter." He spoke, glancing at Draco and then back at Harry.

"Shame about what happened sir." Harry began. "Did you ever find out why Draco was attacked?"

Lucius stared at Harry for a moment, before dropping his smile and adopting a darker expression.

"I think we both know why it happened, Mr. Potter." He stared. "Word had it my son was attacked by one of his friends out of nowhere, almost as if in a trance."

"Then maybe your son should have better friends." Harry replied, almost letting a smirk out at the pinched expression Malfoy made.

"You should watch yourself at Hogwarts this year, Mr. Potter." Lucius spoke, after letting what Harry said sink in. "Who knows what kind of trouble might happen this year."

Deigning not to respond to the clear threat, Harry walked past the two and out the store. Chuckling at the knowledge that Lucius had no idea Harry wouldn't be at Hogwarts come term, he set off back towards Diagon Alley. Exiting from the Leaky Cauldron, Harry made his way back to his orphanage calling it a day.

* * *

Harry was confused. Scratch that, Harry was facing a conundrum that has plagued him for nights. It all started two weeks ago, when Harry was reading one of his schoolbooks about the basics of spell foundations. Harry was exciting that there as a class where a student could create their own variant of a spell, or better yet create an entirely unique spell. Being unable to preform the practical portions of his spells except for his brief excursions to Diagon Alley, Harry vigorously reviewed the practical pieces of his work.

Waking up one morning Harry smiled, remembering that this was the day that the Portkey would arrive at his room. Knowing that he only had two days after it arrived to prepare for the exam, he plotted out his day with rigorous studying.

Following one uneventful breakfast, Harry returned to his room to continue reading his books. He had been initially concerned that one of his fellow orphans or perhaps one of the caretakers would walk into his room and take notice of the spell books. However, one of the first spells that Harry learned was the sound extension charm. This charm allowed Harry to hear people coming from down the hall, which would give him plenty of time to slip his books back into his trunk and appear as if he was reading a algebra book.

During one such situation, Harry heard a group of shoes make their way in the direction of his room. placing his book on retaliatory spells into his trunk and pretending to review his notes on Mayan history, Harry was surprised when the footsteps stopped outside his door, before opening to reveal three faces which Harry haden't exchanged more than two dozen conversations with over the years.

the boy standing at the head of the group was Andrew Smeat, a fellow twelve year old boy who parents died when he was young. He ended up at the orphanage because foster care over underfunded at the time, and even though funding increased he ended up staying at the orphanage.

the two girls behind him were Jessica Bensoth and Kate Mendwell. Harry hadn't spoke to them much, they were rapid fire talkers and often went on to speak for minutes on end. That didn't mean to say that they were unbearable, as they were decent at school and Harry had occasionally talked to them about a project or assignment back in elementary. But they were interested in different things, made extensively worse by Harry's attention now being devoted to magical subjects.

About to speak, Harry snapped his mouth shut when Andrew stepped forward and looked at Harry.

"Before you say you have work to do, shut up." He snapped, clearly expected the answer that Harry gave everyone. "We are totally bored and you are going to join as for a board game."

Recently there was a donation run, and a part of the donations was a collection of board games. Harry was not interested in them, but many of the other children were with childish brawls over who gets to play what nearly a daily event.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, before noticing the glares being sent his way by all three and wisely chose a different approach.

"Why don't you ask one of the other kids." He replied, hoping they would bug someone else.

"Everyone is either too old or too young." Jessica said, staring at Harry as if daring him to refuse.

"And the only kids who are around our age are working on homework or playing other games." Kate finished.

Harry stared at them for a moment, before letting out a large sigh and standing up.

'It will waste less time to play a stupid game than the let them hassle me forever.' Harry thought.

"Alright, I'll play one game." He answered. The three's reaction was amusing.

Andrew stood there with his mouth opened, as if a miracle had just been delivered to him. Kate let out a 'whoop' while Jessica smiled.

Leaving the room, the three lead Harry to where they usually ate, except it was used as a game room during different times of the day. They lead him over to a specific board game.

'Not this stuff' He thought, looking at a game that he wished to never play. **Life the Board game.**

The four sat down with Harry lowering himself extra slowly, still processing what he had been roped into.

Picking out the green car to use as his figure piece, Harry prepared himself for hours of a painfully dull game.

* * *

"That was fun." Jessica said, after nearly three hours had passed playing the stupid board game. Harry disagreed, still upset over the fact that they had to restart because Andrew was caught cheating with the money prompting two girls to complain and Harry to put his face in his hands.

'NEVER AGAIN! Harry thought, letting out a "We'll see" instead.

Proceeding to make his way back to his room, he never noticed the three letting out laughs at his displeasure, nor did he notice Ms. Chelsa smiling at him finally socializing with his fellow orphans.

Walking into his room, he was a bit confused to see a moderately sized clock lying on his bead.

'Must be the portkey.' Harry realized, looking at bit closer at the clock. Noticing the time on the clock, Harry stepped into the hallway and looked at the clock located at one end of the hall. They were the same.

'So I guess I must be touching the clock when it turns 11:00." Harry thought. 'I wonder what would happen if I wasn't in contact when it activated.'

placing the clock in his wardrobe for safekeeping, Harry smiled.

'Less than two days.'


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **Also, please keep in mind that I may refer to professors by their last name and students by their first names.**

 **Just saw Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. I personally liked it, even if many critics panned it, but that's just me.**

 **Looking for a beta reader right now, I should have one found by the end of next week. Probably.**

* * *

The day had come.

Harry eagerly anticipated the activation of his portkey. The matron of the orphanage was under the impression that Harry still attended the same boarding school as last year, which departed from King's Cross.

With no desire to correct her assumptions, Harry took his belongings and after calling for a taxi arrived at King's Cross. Finding a suitably vacant area in one of the back sections with few travelers around, Harry prepared for the time.

It was 10:57. With only three minutes to go until the portkey activated and Harry's future was decided, he calmed himself and tried to ignore his slightly sweaty palms and shaking fingers.

He counted the seconds down, with at last the clock striking 11:00.

Harry felt his navel get pulled by an invisible grip, and without any time for surprise to appear on his face he was sucked into a endless vortex. There was a shrieking sound, and Harry felt his body being pulled in every direction as he travelled across the continent.

After what felt like an eternity, Harry was deposited on the hard ground. His eyes widened in surprise as his stomach caught up with him and he struggled not to vomit. Looking around, Harry noticed that it was almost dark out with the sun just below the horizon.

Glancing around the area in which he landed, Harry's eyes were instantly drawn to a man standing a short distance away. Upon noticing Harry's attention upon him, the man began to move towards Harry with long, confident strides.

"Mr. Potter" He started, his voice laden with a heavy accent. "I have been expecting you."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and began walking along a clearly worn path. Hurrying to catch up, Harry was a bit put off by the disregarding nature the man had about him. Struggling to match the man's pace with his heavy trunk in his arms, Harry wheezed as he ran to make pace with him.

"I am Ulen Messernacht" He continued. "the deputy headmaster of Durmstrang Institute. I have been sent to await your arrival and lead your way to the castle."

"We expect a certain attitude to be maintained by our students. We do not cater to inferior learners. Everyone individual who has completed all seven years from Durmstrang have worked hard to earn their graduation."

Pausing a moment, Ulen turned to look at Harry, running over his frame with a critical eye.

"I was told to send you back immediately if I heard so much as a single complaint from you." He spoke, as the two continued down the worn path through thick woods. "So far you have refrained, but we will see if you have the...commitment."

Harry remained silent. What was he supposed to say? He was just a kid after all, he was not a hero or the next Merlin. He knew the only way the he could progress was if he committed himself and proved his capabilities.

Finally exiting the thick woods, Harry's attention was instantly drawn to the valley the were in. The ground sloped downwards, with tall mountains encircling the area ahead of him. And standing at the far end of the valley partially encased in one of the larger sections of the mountains was one of the most beautiful sights Harry had every seen.

It did not capture the majestic nature that Hogwarts exhibited and was not as big as many of the muggle attractions that Harry had seen pictures of, but the castle that stood before him exhibited a power and impenetrability that Harry was awestruck.

The castle stood at least six stories tall, with there being no visible light emanating from the towers or openings within the walls. The tower appeared to hang over him, and as the two ventured closer Harry noticed new details abou the structure of the castle.

It had a perfect defense. The walls appeared thick, and Harry had no doubt that there was an unmeasurable amount of both defensive and offensive spells distributed among it's many layers.

"Your placement test will commence tomorrow at sunrise." Ulen spoke at last while the two approached a large portcullis positioned in the center of the castle.

The two passed over a narrow bridge, which rose about twenty feet about a narrow body of water circling the exposed section of the castle. As the two moved over the bridge, Harry glanced over the side and noticed that the water did not act as it should. It appeared still, and there was not a ripple in it's entire body. This struck Harry as odd, as he wondered if here was some sort of enchantment on the water.

"you are interested in the water specters." Ulen commented, noticing his interest in the water.

"Water specters?" Harry questioned, interested in what magic is placed upon the surroundings.

"Yes Mr. Potter. The water specters are some of the many remnants of the Grindlewald wars. "He lectured. "While the great war waged, Grindlewald was already invested in the education of the next generation of witches and wizards. He had his followers send all of their children to the school, and enchanted many portions of the school and the surrounding area to act as protection."

The two passed over the bridge, and the first thing Harry noticed was that it was dark. Very, very dark. Flicking his wand up, Harry muttered a quiet _Lumos_.

"One thing to keep in mind, Mr. Potter." Ulen advised, without looking at him. "Durmstrang values intuition and experimentation. Students are only given the bare minimum to survive. Depending on your placement, assuming of course you pass is that you will be supplied supplies depending on the levels of your classes. The higher class you are, the less you are given."

"This forces our students to learn practical and useful skills." He finished, leading Harry through many dark halls and into the deeper bowels of the school.

"Will all my classes be the same level, or are they all judged separately?" Harry asked, curious. If classes were scored on an individual level, than a student who excelled in one or two classes would not be held back by failure in the others.

"Separately, when you are evaluated for your levels you will be judged on each subject Durmstrang considers important." He answered.

Harry fell silent, the darkness and quiet of the empty halls already leaving him in a tired state. Arriving at an empty door, Ulen went in with Harry following him. The way Harry would describe the room would be 'Spartan'. The walls were empty, with he only accessories in the room being a little wooden bed with a single sheet on top.

'I should have spent more time studying transfiguration.' Thought Harry, imagining the feeling of the wretched looking bed in his head. Ulen cracked a smile at the quick flash of a grimace that passed on Harry's face.

Wiping the look from his face, Harry turned to look at the deputy headmaster.

"Thank you sir." Harry thanked. "Is there anything else I need to know?'"

"I will arrive to escort you to the Amphitheater in the morning." Ulen said. "the students arrive the next day. That is all."

With a swirl of his cloak Ulen Messernacht departed from the room, with the door swinging shut with a flick of his wand.

Harry sighed, and sat down on the hard wooden bed. There was no way that he was going to sleep on this thing. It was horribly uncomfortable, and Harry knew that he did not need sores and headaches for his evaluation the next day. However his skills in transfiguration were not capable of making a entire bed, and no other subject he took could be much help in his case.

Lighting up in realization, Harry found a simple solution to his problem. While he did not know how to create a bed with transfiguration, Harry did know how to

create pillows. A bit miffed that such a insignificant lesson attended before Christmas the previous year could come back to help him now, Harry began to make his plan.

Deciding to transfigure nearly a dozen pillows from the dust littered around the room, Harry applied the shrinking charm( _Reducio_ ) to each of them before applying the sticking charm to lock them all together. This would provide some cushioning from the harsh wooden frame.

Transfiguring two regular sized pillows from the two wooden shards extending from one of the bed legs, Harry used _Engorgio_ on his single blanket in order to protect himself form the chilly air that seemed to permeate from the walls itself.

Lying down on his makeshift bed, Harry closed his eyes and prepared himself for what was the moment he had waited for since Quirrell first suggested transfer.

* * *

Waking up suddenly, Harry felt himself exposed to the cold air. Confused over why his body was no longer covered by his blanket, Harry glanced down and saw the he blanket had reverted to it's small, frail appearance. It now only covered his chest region, with his legs and head now exposed.

Annoyed, but somewhat content in the knowledge that the other transfiguration on the pillows had lasted until now, Harry got up and stumbled towards the door. But as he reached for the handle, the door suddenly swung inwards, nailing Harry in the face. Falling to the ground, his arms flailing around him Harry cursed as he felt blood slowly streaming down from his nose.

Looking over to the now opened door, Harry saw a woman standing there. She stood with a posture that would have McGonagall envious. her posture screamed superiority, and Harry wondered if she was one was of the pure blood supremacist that he had heard about. Her attire was opulent, and her hair looked like it took hours to work.

"Mr. Potter?" She spoke, her amusement evident even through her beautiful voice and clear speech. "I am Alerna Mendon, the potions mistress of the school and one of your evaluators for this morning. Please follow me, I will escort you down to the Amphitheater.

Turning on her heels, the now introduced Professor Mendon strode off at a brisk pace. She had almost disappeared behind a corner before Harry got his composure together and moved after her. Catching up, Harry hastily applied a _Episkey_ to his damaged nose to stop the blood flow.

"I thought that the deputy headmaster was supposed to escort me." Harry asked, confused.

"the deputy headmaster finds himself...indisposed at the current time." Professor Mendon spoke, her voice not betraying any feelings.

"I was sent in his place" She continued, turning to glance at him. "I hope that is not a problem."

Harry was under no delusion that she cared, and was not willing to potentially humiliate himself by saying the wrong thing so he quickly thought before answered.

"No, I was just curious." He answered.

There was no more side conversation as Harry was lead through several hallways, passing by other rooms with names on them. Noticing the door's resemblance to the room he stayed in, Harry asked professor Mendon a question.

"Assuming I pass, will the room I stayed in last night become mine?" Harry questioned, as Mendon's head tilted to hear him.

"Yes, and don't worry Mr. Potter" She answered, not looking the leas bit concerned. "The evaluation is mostly a formality. Your recommendations combined with your scores means that you have a very high chance of making the cut."

Turning fully to face him, Harry was so focused on his guide that he almost missed the fact that the two had arrived outside what appeared to me a large circular room.

"I will warn you Mr. Potter." She warned. "Durmstrang places much higher emphasis on practical work. theory is purely to assist in the learning process."

'You don't say.' Harry thought, remembering the conditions of his room the previous night. Nodding his head to show his acceptance of her warning, Harry followed her into the room.

It was a large place, with four entrances distributed along the outer edge of a circular room. The room had many rings in a descending height, with the larger rings at the outside and higher up, with the middle ring located downwards at the lowest level.

At once Harry noticed several individuals standing in the lowest ring. Recognizing the man he knew as Igor Karkaroff standing among them, Harry made his way down the stairs at a sedate pace. Once he arrived at the bottom, Harry made his way to the headmaster.

"Good morning Headmaster." Harry started, making sure his voice was respectful.

"Not yet." Karkaroff snapped, glaring at him with hard eyes. "You must first be tested to ensure that you meet Durmstrang's standards."

And with that Karkaroff stormed up the stairs, sitting on the next ring up along with several other people who Harry assumed were the staff.

Once almost all of the people had left the first ring, Harry turned to see just professor Mendon standing there with a complacent smile on her face. Waving her wand, a table appeared, and materializing on top were several containers with concoctions of all colors and shapes.

"My talent is in brewing potions, and I am also a skilled alchemist in my own right" Mendon began. "You must prove to me that you can describe the properties of the displayed potions"

Harry tried not to let his shock show. There were at least twenty potions on display sitting on the table.

"You have thirty minutes." Mendon spoke, her voice as sweet a honey.

Taking a deep breath, Harry quickly moved to the first vial. Almost letting out a smile, Harry recognized it as the Pepperup Potion. looking to professor Mendon, Harry began to speak.

"It's the Pepperup Potion." He began. "It's ingredients are the bicorn horn and mandrake root. It can only be successfully completed with the use of a spell. It relieves symptoms of the cold, with the side effect of steam coming out of the ears for several hours after use."

Pausing for a moment, Harry considered telling of his own experiments with the potion.

"I found that using aconite fluid can improve the qualities of the potion." Harry spoke, not daring to look at his evaluator. "It also helps to reduce steam output from the ears." Finishing Harry glanced up at Professor Mendon, hoping to see a reaction. Upon seeing none, Harry realized his time was ticking and moved to the next vial.

He managed to describe twelve of the vials, before Mendon walked up.

"Done." She spoke, giving her wand a wave which resulted in all the materials disappearing leaving the circle empty. Walking to the next ring up, Mendon sat next to her companions without a word. Harry's attention was stolen someone else joined him in the lowest ring.

He was a tall man. Not quite as tall as Hagrid was but still a large man in his own right, he introduced himself as Lucian Somworth. Harry spent the next hour interacting with a variety of magical creatures. Finding himself out of his depth for many of the creatures he was exposed to, Harry nevertheless tried his best to describe each magical creature he came into contact with.

The morning continued in this manner, with Harry having to complete a difficult examination and always falling short of his requirements. He was examined for his proficiency in Transfiguration, Potions, Magical Creatures, Astronomy, Dark Arts, Ancient Runes, Astronomy, and Arithmancy and Spell Manipulation.

Karkaroff had departed after Harry's second evaluation, which left him somewhat concerned about his performance. Was his performance so abysmal that the headmaster already gave up on him?

Having finished his last evaluation on Arithmancy, Harry watched as the teachers conversed for several moments before he noticed Deputy Headmaster Ulen Messernacht appear. But, he appeared quite different compared to the previous night. His skin was sickly, his eyes were hollow and he appeared more like a skeleton.

Sparring no glance for the staff, Ulen briskly walked up to Harry.

"Come with me, Mr. Potter." He spoke, his voice raspy. "The headmaster wishes to see you."

* * *

Moving after the man through one of the four exits in the amphitheater, and noticed as he was leaving that the staff were sending subtly hostile looks in Ulens direction. Putting the apparent internal conflict to the side of his head, Harry followed Ulen through corridors with cracks of light streaing through tiny line in the walls.

'It must be almost noon.' Harry thought.

Arriving near what appeared to be an ornate door, Harry was left alone after a muttered "Grabbersnatch" from Ulen who then left him. As the door swung open, Harry heard an irritated "Enter!" originate from the room. Bracing himself, Harry entered the room.

Having neither the size nor the majesty of the headmaster's study from Hogwarts, Harry had to admit that the room he found himself in appeared more as a war room than as study. The walls appeared to be carved from stone, with several portraits littered around the outside edges of the room.

Focusing on the center of the room, Harry noticed Headmaster Karkaroff hastily signing several papers before glancing up. Giving a scowl he put his papers off the side, and with a muttered "Sit" Harry sat in the hard wooden chair opposite from Karkaroff(Who sat in a much more...comfortable chair).

"You passed" Karkaroff began. "It seems that maybe you hold a glimmer of potential. Your instructors were overall satisfied with your performance, barring Arithmancy which you failed."

Cold eyes locking on his for a moment, Karkaroff stared at Harry for a moment.

"You now hold to option to choose how many classes you take." He spoke. " But be aware that regardless of how many classes you take, you will be held to the same standards regardless."

Mulling over his choices in his head, Harry considered what to do. On one hand he wanted to take all of his classes in order to learn the most possible. But on the other hand he realized that there were simply too many to take efficiently, and therefore had to determine what to take. Finding that Ancient Runes and Astronomy were two courses that did not hold as much value to him as the others, Harry eliminated them from his list.

Deciding that he could learn about magical creatures on his own time, Harry made up his mind.

"I wish to take Spell Manipulation, Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions for my classes." He said.

Muttering under his breath, Karkaroff looked up to face Harry.

"Durmstrang is not like Hogwarts." Karkaroff warned. "It caters to a more...traditional group. While all attacks are of course discouraged, you may find yourself being jinxed or hexed. Therefore it may be necessary for you to learn to defend yourself. Neither I, nor anyone else will protect from your peers."

Not responding, Harry considered what Karkaroff just said. So he would be attacked by other students? It was a good thing Harry knew basic curses and counter curses, but those were designed for light spells. He had no idea what could be thrown at him here and now knowing that the staff would not step in in he was attacked, Harry resolved to keep a steady eye out.

Karkaroff finished filling out one of his papers, and with a flick of his wand it split into two copies. with one copy disappearing and the other moving towards Harry, he picked it up and glanced it over.

"This is your class list and their respective levels." Karkaroff answered the unspoken question.

Harry barely registered him, being completely engrossed in his new class list.

 _Spell Manipulation(Study)- Ulen Messrnacht_

 _Transfiguration(Year 2)- Benton Kentworth_

 _Potions(Year 3)- Alerna Mendon_

 _Dark Arts(Year 1)- Emora Ashen_

 _Charms(Year 3)- Dargen Emsorth_

"Normally you would be expected to know where each class takes place." Karkaroff interrupted his musings. "But in this case I will give you a map for use. I would advise memorizing it's layout before the other students arrive this afternoon."

Getting the hint that other students would look down on him for needing a map, Harry nodded his head in acceptance and took the offered piece of parchment.

"Is there anything else, Sir?" He asked. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Dinner's at seven." Karkaroff replied, not even glancing up from the papers he was reading.

"I hope your accommodations last night were up to standard." Karkaroff's voice interrupted as Harry made his way to the door. "It is after all, your room for the rest of your stay at Durmstrang."

Not letting his irritation show at having to stay in such a cold, dark, and damp environment for the rest of his education Harry gave a curt nod before proceeding out of the office.

* * *

Making his way back in the direction he recalled his room to be, Harry found himself getting lost or walking in circles, even with the map as help. Giving up when the map lead him into a dead end, Harry realized that the map given to him had been wrong.

'Karkaroff must be playing me for a fool' Harry thought. Resolving not to go to him complaining so soon after arriving, Harry restrained himself from asking for help from anyone in finding his own room. Spending a good hour stumbling around, Harry eventually returned to the hallway his room was located in, he stared at the plate which now read Potter On the door.

Harry entered the room reflecting on how despite the poor accommodations and damp atmosphere of the room, it was good having his own space away from other students. In Hogwarts there was almost no privacy, every move he made was watched by the teachers and other students. The only place he could remain unobserved by everyone was in the corner of the library, or the bathroom.

Opening his trunk, Harry began to distribute his possessions around the room. The day before arriving at Durmstrang Harry made one last trip to Diagon Alley, for a last minute shopping spree. Deciding it might be a good idea to know some advanced spells, Harry went to visit Borgin and Burkes. After a lengthy glaring contest with both Mr. Borgin and Harry no doubt recalling their last encounter, Harry left the store with a 130 galleon book of curses.

Harry was smart enough to have made a quick trip to Gringotts beforehand, the mountain of galleons barely disturbed by his takings. Therefore he was able to pay for the book with only minimal threatening and bargaining. Harry recalled how soon after he left the store while turning a corner, he saw four official looking men barge into the store with wands drawn.

Shaking his head to clear his recollection, Harry decided to eat some of the food he kept in his trunk. As nothing was offered, Harry assumed it was done in deliberately in order to get a reaction. Resolving to eat alone, Harry sat on his bed and began to nibble on the turkey sandwich he brought with him.

One finished, Harry began to read his book from Borgins somewhat curious as to when the other students would arrive. Spending the better part of two hours reading, Harry was disturbed from furthering his knowledge of the body-binding curse( _Petrificus Totalus_ ) when he heard footsteps walk down the hallway past his door. Hearing the room to his left slam, Harry lifted an eyebrow in curiosity before deciding to leave things be.

Hearing no one else for the better part of half an hour, Harry made the decision to introduce himself to his fellow student. Leaving his room and moving down the hall towards the next room, Harry wondered whether he should knock, but decided to screw politeness and just go in strong.

Throwing the door open Harry was surprised to see the door stop halfway in and come back. At the sound of vicious cursing, Harry couldn't help but smile at the situation he saw. Just that morning Harry was the one who had been on the floor, and now that Harry was on the other end of the treatment he couldn't help but find the situation amusing.

"Merlin's bloody balls!" The boy screamed, clutching his now bloody nose. Glaring at Harry, the effect was somewhat ruined by the pitiful state the boy was in.

" _Episkey_ " Harry intoned, taking pity on the poor boy's face. With a crack his nose repaired itself, and he hastily stood with a glare at Harry.

"Who are you?" He asked, with what Harry assumed was a Bulgarian accent. "Why are you here?"

"Sorry about your nose." He began, amused by the boys irritation. "I am Harry potter, I got here this morning."

"Potter, eh?" He spoke. "Victor Krum."

Harry looked the boy over, not recognizing him from anywhere.

"I thought most students don't get here until nearly seven tonight?" Harry questioned.

"You got some nerve talking about getting here early." Victor spoke. "I wanted to get some flying in before dinner."

Losing interest now that he knew Victor was interested in flying, Harry began turning his attention away from him before Victor interjected.

"You want to watch?" He spoke cockily. "I have been practicing all summer, I intend to go professional next summer."

Harry stared at him, and deciding that he had nothing better to do nodded his head and made to follow Victor who quickly took a broom from the side of the room. Leading him through winding hallways, Harry tried his best to remember the way back, and as the two moved onwards. Harry glanced at his companion, and found that he appeared to be a bit older than himself. Victor appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen, with a tough build and hardy expression.

"So first year eh?" He started. "never seen you here before."

"Second year actually." Harry corrected. "I transferred from another school."

Victor turned to stare at him in surprise, with Harry recalling how it was almost unheard of the transfer.

"I was wondering where you learned to speak English." Harry spoke, interrupting Victor's musings. "I didn't thing Durmstrang took many English speaking students."

Victor stared at him for a moment, before letting out a chuckle.

"I am not speaking English." He said, amusement evident in his eyes. "there is an enchantment on the grounds to allow speakers of different languages to commune."

Harry almost stumbled in his steps. A spell to allow instant understanding of a different language? He had never heard of such a thing. However, it did make sense to a certain degree. Durmstrang apparently took students from the surrounding countries, which would mean there were students of different linguistic backgrounds.

His shock was put on hold as the two walked out of a side entrance in the school, down to a narrow section of the valley. Ahead of them stood a large pitch, upon which a quidditch field was clearly visible.

Harry followed Victor over to the edge of the pitch, somewhat curious to see how the Durmstrang student matched up to Hogwarts players.

He was blown away. The moment Victor took off he soared through the pitch, zipping around the goals and diving down close to the ground only to pull up moments later. He saw Victor fly by at lightning fast speeds, the wind catching up with Harry and knocking him down.

Despite his boredom with Quidditch, Harry couldn't help but feel impressed by Victor's ability to fly. He clearly had the talent, and Harry believed that Victor could indeed go international if he wanted. He wondered how Victor preformed in the classroom.

After a good half hour of soaring, Victor landed near Harry and dismounted.

"Are you as good in the classroom as you are in the sky?" Harry questioned as Victor got off his broom. If Victor had half the skill in his classes that he displayed on the field than he would be a great student.

Victor glanced at him, before quickly looking away. Harry thought he saw Victor's face turn red slightly, but he may have imagined it.

"No" He spoke sullenly. Harry understood, Victor was putting all of his focus into flying to the point of near compete neglect to his schoolwork.

The two walked back to the castle, neither willing to start another conversation. Once nearing the castle, Harry saw other students portkeying in. Harry stalled in his walk, with Victor glancing back for a moment.

"What are you scared of?" he spoke. "They are just students."

Letting out a embarrassed laugh, Harry followed Victor into the school and towards a large rectangular room he assumed was the equivalent of the Great Hall.

Walking in with Victor, Harry noticed that Victor made his way to one of the empty tables. Making his choice as Victor was the only student Harry had meet and talked to, he followed Victor to his table and sat down with him.

"I hope you don't mind." Harry began, at Victor's quirked eyebrow. "I don't exactly know anyone else here."

At that explanation Victor nodded his head, and the two sat in contemplative silence as the hall filled up with other students.

The students ranged in age from eleven to seventeen just like at Hogwarts, but that was where the similarities ended. The students walked into the hall, not jubilant and excited like at Hogwarts, but with a sullen and grim demeanor. Harry noticed quite a number of students displayed scars on their faces, likely the result of fights or spell experimentation.

Harry also noticed that several students sneered at Victor as they passed, with many bearing snide expressions on their face.

"Not popular here?" Harry asked Victor, as he observed the oncoming flood of students.

"They believe I am a waste of space." Victor scowled, not bothering to look at any of the students.

"Why?" Harry questioned.

"I spend all of my time focusing on Quidditch." He replied. So Harry's suspicions were confirmed, Victor was a poor students who struggled in the classroom.

Finally the great hall was mostly filled with quietly murmuring students, with a small distance between Harry and Victor separating them from the other students. He noticed the some of the staff make their way to the front of the hall, with Karkaroff motioning for silence.

"Another year has arrived." he started promptly, once he realized he had total attention. "And with that comes new expectations, both for returning students as well as new arrivals." At this his eyes flicked towards Harry.

"we expect no less from any of you this year and we will continue to instruct you in the more advanced forms of magic, even if other institutions will not." At this he paused. "The same rules apply as all previous years, and the schedule will commence tomorrow.

After this short speech, Igor sat down at a large table at the far end of the hall, with several members of the staff flanking him on either side. once they had seated, food appeared around the hall. Unlike Hogwarts however, the food selection here was limited with no fats and sugars present on the tables. There was only meat and bread, which confused Harry by it's simplicity.

"You are expected to make your own pastries." Victor spoke, having noticed Harry's confusion. "Durmstrang promotes self sufficiency and while you can live off of school food, it will be unpleasant and tasteless. Have you seen the beds?"

"yes." Harry replied, recalling the wooden bed and chilly atmosphere of his room. "it was...something."

Nodding hid head in sympathy, Victor took a bite out of his dinner before turning to face him.

"One of the first things to do in your free time is research transfiguring beds." He started. "Have you already learned?"

"No, I focused mostly on charms and potions." Harry commented.

"Oh? What level classes are you in?" He questioned, turning to face Harry.

"I am in year three for both classes." Harry replied, after taking a bite of bread. He didn't notice Victor's eyebrows raise at that, nor did he notice the attention of several of the closer students turn towards him for several seconds.

Victor opened his mouth to respond, but his attention was diverted to the students who began to leave the hall. Harry turned his attention to them as well, before questioning Victor.

"Is there no formal dismissal from dinner?" he questioned. "Can people just come and go?"

"there is no attendance at all." Victor answered, as the two joined the flow out of the hall. "If you feel that you can learn more by yourself without any guidance than by all means study at your own pace."

"Do students do that?" Harry questioned, curious if there were any students who attended no classes.

"No, they would be stupid to." Victor replied, as they moved down hallways in the direction Harry vaguely recalled was his dorm. "Not only does it make one appear prideful and conceited, but there are hints and tricks that the teachers give which can make a large difference."

Nodding his head in acceptance of the information Harry came to a stop before his room, with Victor continuing on to his room raising a hand in parting. Shaking his head, Harry entered his room and reenacting the same actions his preformed the previous night.

Laying down under the enlarged blanket once again, Harry calmed himself and prepared for his first day of classes. Having proved himself to his instructors, Harry wondered how things would progress from here.

Letting oblivion claim him, Harry succumbed to sleep.

* * *

Waking up with a jolt, Harry's first reaction upon regaining consciousness was pride. All of his charmed items remained fixed in their current form through the night. Waving his wand to dispel the enchantment, Harry got up and decided to head to breakfast.

Heading down to the main hall Harry first noticed was that it was early, with light barely shining through the openings in the walls. Once Harry arrived at the main hall he found that he was still here before most of the other students, with only about a quarter of the students in attendance compared to the previous night.

Harry found Victor sitting alone, looking sweaty and completely exhausted. Coming to sit beside him, Harry glanced at him for a moment.

"Training for Quidditch." Victor spoke, after noticing Harry's focus was on him. "I must train for the professional tryouts next year."

A bit amused by the overwhelming insistence that Victor placed on Quidditch, Harry nodded his head and proceeded to grab a loaf of bread.

"I have spell manipulation first." Harry began. "With Ulen Messernacht. Do you know what it is like?"

"I heard it was a study." Victor replied. "Some students try their new spells, but most spend it on other classes or do whatever they like."

Nodding his head although a bit miffed it wasn't a real class, Harry finished his meal and headed to his first class early.

Arriving at the same Amphitheatre which housed his evaluation, Harry sat on the highest ring along the top edges of the room. Based off of what he learned from Victor, this class would be best used initially for reinforcing what he learned in other classes. Maybe once he was confident in his learning, Harry would begin spell experimentation.

For the next two hours, students filtered in and out of the room, with all ages apparently studying in the room. there was one burly looking boy twirling his wand and whispering spells quietly. There was a girl talking, but with no words coming out of her mouth. Harry assumed they were both using spells on themselves, for some reason or another.

Having spent his time reading a textbook on the basics of the dark arts, Harry got up and proceed to his next class. Walking to the exit, Harry stopped and glanced at a girl who appeared to be sixteen or seventeen.

Do you know where professor Emsorth teaches?" He asked her.

"Three hallways down, take the second left." She replied, not even glancing up from her notes.

Moving in the direction indicated, Harry arrived outside of a classroom just in time to see a student blasted out of the door. As Harry was heading towards charms, he assumed that this was in fact NOT the charms classroom and he had been lied to.

Sighing, Harry moved past the trembling student who had been thrown out the door, and walked around aimlessly for several minutes. Realizing that he had no clue where the class was, and not wanting to appear weak left Harry with few choices in what to do.

Harry was almost out of options as he reckoned he had about fifteen minutes until the beginning of class, when he ran into Victor in one of the hallways.

"Victor, do you perhaps know where Emsorth's class is?" Harry desperately asked.

Vctor stared at him for a moment, looking a bit contrite.

"Follow me." He said, as he started down another hallway. The two walked down several corridors, and Harry noted the location so he could find it again by himself.

Arriving at a door, Harry glanced in and sighed when he saw professor Emsorth inside.

"Thanks Victor." Harry gushed, relieved. "I never would have found the right one in time. You can go to whatever class you have now."

Victor stared at him for a moment, before storming into the room. Harry stood wide mouthed, before coming to the realization that Victor was also in third year charms. It was kind of pathetic, that a fourteen year old boy was in the same class as a twelve year old. That meant that Victor probably failed twice.

Walking into the classroom, Harry looked around noticing that most of the class was already full. He appeared to be the youngest there, with most of the class appearing around thirteen except Victor and one very annoyed looking sixteen year old girl. With most of the other desks already being occupied by two students, Harry decided to take the empty seat next to Victor.

Slamming the door shut with a flick of his wand, professor Emsorth strode to the front of his class as everyone fell silent.

"For most of you." he began, searching the class with his gaze. His eyes strayed to Victor and the older girl for several moments.

"This class is a stepping stone for your advancement in Durmstrang. You will continue to learn new, advanced charms as well as the basics for how to craft charms." He concluded.

"Now, lets begin." He spoke, before diving into a lecture onto the fundamentals on charms. Harry was secretly relieved that he had gotten those books from Borgins, as some of the concepts being introduced would have made no sense to him otherwise.

Even then, Harry was still slightly confused about some of the concepts being discussed. He resolved to spend time later learning about intermediary charms and their applications. During the middle of the lecture, Harry glanced to his side and saw Victor hastily writing unclear and muddled notes, with him being obviously confused about some of the concepts being discussed.

Harry felt bad for him, having always been someone who excelled in school he had never really struggled to hard. That isn't to say that he has never been confused by what he learned, but with consistent study habits and paying attention in class lead to Harry being a very capable student.

After a good three hour lecture, Harry stood up and moved out of the classroom after giving a parting farewell to Victor. He muttered a farewell, still looking at the sloppy looking notes he took. Pushing Victor's academic situation out of his head, Harry focused on his next class. Recalling how he had potions as his last class of the day, Harry made his way down deeper into the castle. If Durmstrang had anything in common with Hogwarts, then it would be that the potions classroom would be deep underground.

* * *

Arriving outside an empty classroom without anyone else around, Harry was about to search another hallway for his classroom when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. Recalling those steps as the same ones who slammed a door into his face, Harry turned to face his potions professor.

"Good afternoon, professor Mendon." Harry started.

"You are nearly an hour early." She responded. Without any further comments, she turned and stroke into the classroom not sparing another glance at Harry.

Sighing, Harry moved to follow her in the class. With so much time apparently on his hands before class, Harry got to work reviewing the charms material he had. When there was fifteen minutes before the start of class, students began streaming into the room. Without giving Harry a second glance, most chose their own tables and set their equipment out.

Following their example Harry set his own potions equipment out, and applied his cauldron a weak cleaning charm as even the slightest buildup of dirt or dust could impact the quality of the potion.

Once everyone had arrived, Professor Mendon began her speech similar to Emsorth, which emphasized learning and progression over theory. What followed had to be one of the most interesting classes Harry had ever attended. He never knew that the Strengthening Solution had salamander blood as one of it's ingredients. The lesson also surprised him because in Hogwarts students were not thought that specific potion until fifth year.

At the conclusion of the class, after cleaning up his cauldron and proceeding to exit the room Harry wondered what to do next. Deciding to pay a visit to the library(wherever that was) Harry wandered around the castle memorizing it's layout in greater detail. Making sure not to forget where everything is, Harry eventually found his way to the library by following the trail of students.

'It's packed...' Harry thought, looking how over half of the desks in the library was occupied. Compared to Hogwarts where there was plentiful space available at all times of the year, Harry couldn't help but realize that the quality of the students here was undoubtable higher.

Finding one of the few unoccupied tables in the whole place, Harry looked around at the surrounding students before beginning to search the large tomes that inhabited the higher shelves around the exterior of the room. Finding a book on the basics of large scale destructive magic, Harry decided to do some looking ahead.

A **BANG** startled Harry as he glanced up and saw Victor had hastily sat down across from him. Harry wasn't the only one startled, as several students glanced over but were uninterested as they saw it was Victor who had made the sound.

"I...need your help." Victor said, looking quite pissed off. "You looked like you understood the charms lecture, and I need to pass this year if I want to stay in Durmstrang."

Harry stared at him. He knew that eventually Victor would probably have been kicked out if he continued to fail, and now that time had come. Mulling over what to do in his head, Harry eventually decided to try giving Victor a hand.

"Sure, taking out your notes." Harry started, as Victor complied. "The first thing you need to do is..." And a new friendship was made, as the two spent nearly two hours getting the charm theories shoved into Victor's head. Eventually, the two called it quits, and made their way to the great hall for dinner. After a quick meal of dry meat and soggy bread which made Harry regret ever transferring, the two headed to their rooms.

"Thanks for the help." Victor spoke, as the two were about to go their separate way. "It's embarrassing, that a twelve year old knows more than me."

"Your welcome." Harry answered, choosing not to comment on the second part of what Victor said. It was true after all, it was embarrassing that he knew more. There was nothing more to say on the matter that could help Victor, so why say anything at all.

Laying down in his(once again charmed)bed, Harry prepared for his classes the next day, which involved the dark arts and transfiguration.

* * *

 **And there you have it, another chapter done, with over 7k words in this chapter.**

 **Once again, I apologize for the poor grammar.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **The hunt for beta readers continue, and one should (hopefully) be found soon.**

* * *

Waking up for the third day in his new room, Harry took in his surroundings. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, Harry got up and walked towards the door, content that the weak charm he embedded into it was still there. Harry was slightly paranoid about anyone trying to get into his room, so he took precautions. If anyone tried to turn the door handle, he would be alerted and would wake up.

Stepping out of his room, Harry quickly ducked back in to avoid a dark purple spell that missed his face by several inches. Quickly drawing his wand, Harry muttered _Stupefy_ with most of his body protected by his door.

He listened as the stunner came into contact with whoever attacked him, their body landing on the ground with a painful 'thud'. Walking out from behind his door, Harry quickly cast the body binding curse at the body on the ground before walking closer to observe.

The first thing he noticed was that his attacker was a girl. The second was that he recognized her from his first charms class. Wondering if he remembered who she was, he spent several moments trying to figure her name.

Without any names to put to her face, Harry decided to get some answers. Ending the body bind curse and waking her up with a _Rennervate._ The girl's eyes snapped open, and Harry had to jump back when she grasped her wand and shot a light blue spell at him.

Dropping to the floor Harry snapped his wand towards the girl and with a shouted _Bombarda._ The girl's eyes widened in surprise as she ducked underneath the spell and prepared to retaliate.

However, what she didn't know what that the _Bombarda_ Spell continued past her and smashed into the wall. The blast sent her to the floor, with Harry struggling to remain standing. Both a bit disoriented and twitchy, both of them shot their own spells at someone who ran towards them.

Realizing it was Victor two late, the spells slammed into him and he was sent into the wall.

"Peace out!" He shouted to the girl, who finally stopped shooting spells at him. Going to Victor's aid, Harry cancelled his own spell, before looking at the girl in question. She sighed and cancelled her own spell.

Victor's eyes snapped open, and he jumped up before wincing in pain. Turning to face Harry, he appeared to give a grimace before looking over his shoulder to look at the girl. Grimace turning into a scowl, he grabbed Harry's arm and started dragging him away.

Turning the corner, with the girl vanishing from sight Harry dug his feet into the ground and glared at Victor.

"What the hell, Victor!" He shouted, giving his best glare. Victor's hold loosened, and he let out a sigh.

"Sorry Harry." He spoke. "But she is bad news. Likes to curse as many students as she can. Nasty piece of work there."

"Who was that, then?" Harry questioned, a bit peeved by the way his morning was going. Not even a week in and already attacked, just great.

"Elena Blackwell." Victor replied. "Her father was one of You-Know-Who's followers. Got himself locked up in Azkaban after the death of the dark lord."

Harry reflected on what Victor said. It still didn't explain why she attacked _him._ What was the possible motivation? Was it to simply lash out at everyone?

"Ok Victor." Harry sighed. "I have to get breakfast and then head to class."

Turning towards where the dinning hall was located, Harry started a fast walk, with Victor catching up moments later.

"Harry, promise me you won't go looking for her." Victor asked, as the two arrived at the hall. "Nothing good can come from encountering her."

Turning to face Victor, Harry stayed silent. He understood where Victor was coming from, but for a moment he felt the thrill of the fight and wanted to feel that again.

"I won't search for her." Harry carefully answered, watching as Victor nodded in apparent satisfaction.

* * *

After eating his food, Harry proceeded to his dark arts class. He didn't know what to expect from this class. From what he learned from his other classes, Durmstrang put a higher emphasis on education and self-discovery, and was not the overwhelmingly dark place everyone else said it was.

He wondered if the darks arts class would change his opinion. After getting the correct directions from Victor who was thankfully not held back in the dark arts too, Harry proceeded a classroom that was only partially full. Walking in, Harry sat down in the middle row, and waited for the other students to show up.

As other students filtered in, Harry noticed that there were students age eleven through thirteen. A young boy who Harry assumed was eleven silently sat next to him.

Turning to face him, the boy looked at him. Harry that the boy maintained an air of importance like Draco Malfoy, but with more wariness and caution holding his pride back.

"Calen Rosier." He spoke, looking at Harry straight in the yes.

"Harry Potter." Harry responded, wondering where this would go.

"Potter." Rosier spoke, tasting the word as if unsure how to perceive it. "I thought someone from your family would attend Hogwarts."

"I did." Harry started. "But I decided that Durmstrang would be better for me."

Raising an eyebrow, Rosier tilted his head slightly, before the door slammed and a figure stalked from the back of the classroom to the front. Arriving in front of everyone, the woman wearing dark robes and a dark scowl on her face stared at the class.

"You are not here to learn how to curse and kill other witches and wizards." She began. "You are here to learn magics not accepted at other schools. Magic that scares other institutions you will learn here."

Pausing for a moment, she scowled again before resuming her speech.

"This year you will learn several simple pieces of magic that will harden your understanding of what we call the 'dark arts'. Turn to page 34 in your books." And with that, Harry's first darts arts class commenced with being taught the foundation in which the dark arts are used.

They were taught how the darks art different from other magics, in that many of the spells were powered by either emotions or mental willpower. She gave several basic examples (which harry only knew a few of) before warning the class of the consequences of screwing up a dark spell.

Leaving the class happy with what he learned Harry reflected. Nothing taught in the class was mind shattering, but it showed that Durmstrang does not shy away from the more disturbing aspects of magic.

Grabbing a brief bite of lunch, Harry decided to spend the several hours before his transfiguration class studying in the library.

Arriving at an empty table in the corner, Harry was about to begin learning about wards when someone interrupted his readings.

He recognized her at once as the girl who attacked him, Elena Blackwell. Slowly reaching into his robes for his wand, he prepared for another confrontation.

"Please." She scoffed. "If I wanted to attack you do you really think I would just stand here." Sitting down across from him, Harry stared at the girl for several moments.

"Why are you here." He asked, curious about her motivations. She snorted, before placing a large tome on the table.

"You are going to help me study for charms class." She said, flicking a strand of hair out of her eye. "That is the only class that I cannot fully grasp, and it bugs me."

She stared at him, daring him to reject her order. Harry was a bit dumbfounded. First Victor, and now this girl was struggling in charms leaving Harry wondering if it was just him who grasped most of the concepts.

"Why did you attack me?" Harry questioned. She rolled her eyes.

"It got your attention, didn't it?" She said. "Although I will admit I didn't expect you to create a hole in the wall.

Harry winced at that. He was initially worried that he would be punished for damaging part of the school, but Victor reassured him that it happened all the time. As long as teachers didn't see it happen, they let it slide.

Harry had asked him how al the damage was repaired, with Victor replying that house elves repaired most of the damage.

Clearing his head Harry up at the girl, who was still waiting for his reply.

"…..Sure." He replied. What occurred next nearly the exact same as what happened with Victor, except Elena grasped the concepts much faster than he did. On the note of Victor, Harry wondered how he would respond when he found out Harry had helped the girl he said not to associate with.

The moment they were finished, Elena got up and left without so much as a "Thank you", leaving Harry to clean up by himself.

* * *

Heading to his transfiguration classroom, Harry arrived right before the start of class and was forced to take a seat near the back of the room.

The man who Harry recognized as professor Kentworth walked in and moved to stand near the front of the class.

"Transfiguration is not like the rest of your classes." His speech felt rehearsed, Harry assuming that he gave this often to the first and second year classes.

"Transfiguration is not simply flicking your wand and saying some words." He continued. "It takes careful practice and work to complete an advanced transfiguration. There are endless possibilities for error, and even a simple mistake can lead to death."

Continuing his speech, Harry listened as professor Kentworth started by reviewing what the first years learned before introducing the concepts they would learn this year.

"Unlike the other classes, which have final evaluations." Kentworth spoke, as the class neared its end. "My class has a final project. This is the culmination of your years work, and your grade rests on the quality of your project. It must be original and unique, clearly displaying the concepts taught here"

Harry felt a pit form in his stomach, wondering what he would do for his project. After the conclusion of the class, Harry left the class and attended dinner with Victor.

Eating silently, Harry wondered how quickly he would progress. While his classes here certainly were more challenging than Hogwarts, Harry wondered if he would have enough time for self-study. He was interested in furthering his knowledge on several pieces of magic, but he had time.

"Word has it you were with Blackwell in the library." Victor spoke suddenly, snapping Harry out of his thoughts. "Mark my words, associating with her will come back to bite you later."

"I don't judge people based off of their parents." Harry spoke quietly, causing Victor to turn and stare at him. The two stared for several moments, before Victor scoffed and went back to eating.

Finishing eating, Harry was about to return to his room when Victor stopped him.

"Have you ever gone flying before?" Victor questioned.

"Just basic lessons." Harry spoke, recalling his first few flying lessons. He was no expert in the air, but he was capable of taking off and landing without much difficulty. Flying on a broom just wasn't his thing.

"Come fly a few laps with me." Victor spoke. "No one else here is willing to."

Harry stared at him for a moment, refusal on the tip of his tongue before stopping. Victor was his only real friend here so far, and Harry didn't want to risk alienating him so soon after his arrival. And despite him struggling in class, he no doubt knew some nasty spells. There was also the fact that his dorm was right next to Harry's.

"Fine, but for just half an hour." At that Victor let out a small smile, the gesture almost making Harry stumble at the expression.

Moving to Victor's room, he grabbed his broom, a nimbus 2000 before giving another broom to Harry.

"It's a Cleansweep seven." He spoke proudly. The two walked out of the castle to an empty field. Victor took off with a flash, accelerating high into the air before stopping and looking down on Harry. Making sure his wand was in reach in case he needed to quickly stop his fall, Harry mounted to broom and slowly took off.

What followed next Harry would never admit was slightly fun. The two shot around the pitch, with Victor pulling all sorts of crazy maneuvers and nearly killing himself several times.

After just over half an hour, they both landed outside one of the side entrances to the castle. Harry took a step forward, and planted face first into the mud. Over the sound of Victor's raucous laughter, Harry stood up and wiped the dirty and grime from his face before shooting a weak stinging hex at Victor.

He had no time to block, and yelped when the hex impacted his leg, leaving him with a slight limp. Smiling in satisfaction, Harry walked into the castle and made his way back to his room.

Passing his broom off to Victor, Harry walked into his room and promptly fell onto his bed, sinking into oblivion as soon as he closed his eyes.

The weeks seemed to bleed together, with classes melding together in a caldron of knowledge. Harry continued to do well in both charms and potions. His effort in transfiguration was adequate, with Harry being mostly focused on learning to transfigure a bed. He was also interested in the conjuration aspect of transfiguration, with _Avis_ being is favorite spell in that category.

The dark arts were proving a unique experience but was still only a first-year course. Therefore, the information as basic, with the occasional novice level spell being passed off to the students.

However overall Harry was content. Whenever he was feeling that he could learn more in a specific subject, he would pay a visit to the library and could copy pages out of the tomes. He would then spend several hours in his room learning about whatever caught his eye.

Harry continued to help Victor, and although it took some hammering, he felt that Victor was showing a subtly improvement over his initial work.

* * *

Almost two months after his first night at Durmstrang, Harry was in the process of returning from dinner. Victor had decided to spend several more hours out on the pitch, no doubt trying suicidal maneuvers.

Shaking thoughts of his insane friend out of his head, Harry was disturbed from his thoughts when a sickly orange spell shot around the corner. Drawing his wand, Harry rushed around the corner and saw Elena Blackwell facing off against three other students.

One was on the ground clutching their face while the other two were busy trading spells. One caught Elena on the waist, and she went down with a shriek. Seeing Harry standing behind Elena with his wand drawn, the two students appeared ready to attack him too.

Not giving them a chance, Harry let out a loud _Aguamenti_ sending the water to the two students. One of the students blocked, but the other was not so lucky, getting drenched in water. This was followed by Harry sending _Glacius_ at him, which resulted in the water freezing on his skin.

Harry had no time to celebrate, as the other student sent a powerful banishing spell at him. With no time to react, Harry responded by raising his hand and taking the full blast of the spell to his arm.

Getting thrown back, Harry felt something crack in his arm. Struggling to get his bearing despite the pain in his hand and arm, Harry glanced back to where the other students were and saw the one still standing student levitating the other two away.

Struggling to rise to his feet and pursue Harry was blindsided by a stunner to the face, and the last thing he saw Elena limping towards him.

Waking up suddenly, Harry was overwhelmed by the light in the room. He glanced around, seeing himself on a small bed. There were several others around, with two being occupied by the two students who were hurt in his duel.

One was awake, and upon noticing Harry let out a snicker. This was the one who had been frozen.

"You got guts boy." He spoke. "I didn't expect that combination of spells. You have my compliments for that."

"Thanks." Harry replied, not believing for a moment that this was the end of this.

"If you ever get in our way again." The boy continued. "I will make that banishing charm look like a small cut in comparison to what I will do."

Processing what the boy said, Harry was about to respond when he was interrupted.

"Mr. Potter." A female voice spoke, accompanied by a woman walking into view. "You are free to go, please don't have a repeat of this…. incident."

Nodding his head, Harry got out of bed trying to ignore the soreness in his limbs. Slowly walking out of the hospital wing, Harry glanced back once of the still awake student who had threatened him.

"What's your name?" Harry asked him. The boy raised an eyebrow.

"What's it to you?" He questioned, staring at him.

"If we are going to fight again, I would at least like to know whom I am fighting." Harry answered, a tiny bit amused.

The boy left out a laugh, before propping himself up and facing Harry fully.

"Blake Rosedell." He responded. Harry didn't recognize the name, but he nodded and continued out of the hospital.

Before he could make it far, he was interrupted by another pair of footsteps behind him. Turning to face his follower, he saw Elena Blackwell staring at him.

"Don't think I owe you for what you did." She spoke, glaring at him. "I had everything under perfect control."

"I'm sure." Harry responded, internally amused that she considered getting beaten on the ground to be in 'compete control'.

She appeared to know what he was thinking, as her glare turned angrier.

"just don't expect me to give you anything." She snapped, before brushing past him and moving down the hall.

"Your welcome." Harry called, right before she turned the corner. She stalled for a moment, before continuing without a reply.

Shaking his head at her weird behavior, Harry moved towards the great hall, noticing that it appeared to be around lunch. Skidding to a halt at the realization that he missed charms, Harry groaned before sitting down at his normal table.

* * *

Half an hour later, after picking at the remains of his food, Harry was disturbed when Victor slammed his hands on the table across from him.

"I told you this would happen!" He spoke, his voice just below a shout. "I told you she was trouble, but did you listen!? NO!"

"It's fine Victor." Harry spoke, a bit put off by his friend's harsh reaction. "I'm fine."

"Fine?! Your entire elbow was shattered!" He went on. "You were out cold when Blackwell brought you in. I heard that she was fighting as usual and you got involved." He sounded angry.

Resolving to not raise Victor's anger any more than it already was, Harry decided to stay quiet. After Victor finished his rant, he stewed for several minutes. Not even the promise of quidditch flying would get him out of his funk.

Harry found it a bit weird that Victor felt so strongly about Blackwell. After eating he went to the library and began reading history. He discovered that over half a century ago during the Grindelwald wars, A member of the Blackwell family raided and killed many members of the Krum family, which sparked a conflict that lingers to this day.

'That complicates things.' Harry mused. So, this was a family thing, that would mean that there is very little that can be done to resolve the issue, barring the death of one party.

Deciding to continue his investigation later, Harry returned the book and proceeded to his next class.

Several days later, Harry saw an opportunity to initiate a conversation with Elena. Having spent the better part of an hour studying the different applications of the bubblehead charm, Harry was about to leave when he saw Elena sitting alone at a table.

She appeared to be reading confidently, but Harry thought he saw a slight crease of the eyebrow. This told him that she found something confusing in the text. Deciding to be the instigator of this encounter, Harry walked closer.

Sitting down across from Elena, He noted that she was again practicing charms. Upon noticing someone else had joined her, Elena glared up at whoever it was but stopped upon seeing it was Harry.

The glare returning a second later, she went back to reading her book.

"I think we could help each other out." Harry began, watching her for any potential reaction.

"There is nothing you can help me with." She replied snidely, not glancing up at him.

"That is certainly not what you thought when you sought me out for help with charms," Harry retorted. "and it certainly wasn't what you thought when I saved you from those students."

Elena stayed silent, not responding to his comeback.

"Look." Harry began "I know you need help with charms. And in exchange, I want you to teach me advanced dark art spells."

Her head snapped up upon hearing that, her wand beginning to twitch with static.

"You think I will tell you my family secrets." She seethed. "You are more stupid than I thought."

Harry stared at her, not expecting such a reaction. He didn't know that many traditional families placed emphasis on the family's work, and that insisting upon learning the creation of someone's hard work was considered extremely rude.

"You need the help with charms, don't you?" He spoke, after giving her time to cool down. "The way I see it, is that we are both learning something from this exchange."

Elena ignore him and continued reading the book. Harry sat and stared at her for a good ten minutes, before she stood up slamming the tome shut.

"Fine!" She shouted. "But don't expect this to go anywhere."

Turning, she walked out of the library. Harry watched as her dark hair disappeared around the corner and gave a small chuckle at the conversation he just had.

During the next couple of weeks, Harry would help Elena improve her Charms abilities, with her making decent progress. Harry noticed that she made no attempt to teach him her family's spells and decided to wait and see if she ever would.

Finally, Christmas was upon him. Usually he did not put much emphasis on the holiday, and just considered it another day. However, what occurred to him just days before the day was that he now had a friend. Would he be expected to get Victor anything? And if so, then what?

Victor appeared to value quidditch above all else, but Harry didn't know what quidditch related item he could buy. While thinking, Harry came to a sudden realization, maybe he could write to a recruiter and tell them about Victor's performance.

But he needed to see what team Victor wanted to get on first, and so subtly questioned Victor over the next few days.

"Hey Victor, where are you thinking of applying for quidditch next summer?"

"Victor, what position are you going for?"

"Hey Victor, do you intend to play quidditch full time?"

Each day he would lightly prod and pull answers from Victor, with eventually having enough information to write his letter.

Writing a letter to the head recruiter Ivan Baranock, Harry stated his opinions.

 _Dear Mr. Baranock,_

 _I am writing to you in order to make my opinions clear on an upcoming potential player for your team. His name is Victor Krum, and throughout the last few months I have seen…._

Once satisfied with the quality of his letter, Harry used one of the school owls to send the letter. He didn't know what to expect, or if to expect anything at all and was therefore surprised by what happened before Christmas day.

Harry was in his room, having finally mastered the transfiguration on his new bed. Now he wouldn't have to worry about waking up with any sores or cramps around his body. It felt good.

His internal celebration was cut short when his door burst open, with a paralyzed Victor falling face first into his room. Sighing at Victor but internally satisfied on having successfully tested the defensive charm on his room, Harry cancelled the spell.

Victor stood up, apparently in too good of a mood to be ruined by breaking his nose.

"Harry!" He started, shaking Harry's shoulders. "I have an exclusive evaluation of my skills after the conclusion of this school year!"

"That's great." Harry stated, wondering if his letter had really caused this.

"Ya, apparently someone wrote me a great recommendation." He spoke, oblivious to the fact that Harry was the one who sent the letter. Deciding to see how great Victor's reaction would be when he found out, Harry put on a big smile.

"Merry Christmas, Victor." He spoke, the dumb grin never leaving his face. Victor nodded, before freezing. His stared at Harry, as if mulling over something in his head. Second later, he caught Harry in a bone crushing hug, so strong that Harry was struggling to breath.

"Victor, could you let me down." Harry gasped, struggling to bring air into his lungs. Victor placed him down with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry." He apologized, before smiling widely again. "Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me."

'I think I do now.' Harry thought, feeling his lungs fill with air once again.

"I don't know how I can repay you for this." Victor spoke, looking a bit sullen at having no good return gift.

"It's no problem Victor." Harry spoke. "I've never really celebrated Christmas before, I just thought this would be a nice thing to do."

Victor stared at him for a moment, before getting up and leaving his room. Hearing the door next-door slam, Harry wondered what Victor could possibly be doing.

That night, as he lay in bed after staying up for several hours studying the Aqua Eructo charm Harry heard a light knocking on the door. Wondering who it could be, Harry grabbed his wand and made his way to the door.

Opening the door inwards using its frame as protection Harry glanced around the hall but noted with confusion that there was nobody there. Stepping back into his room, he almost stumbled over the little parcel laying at the foot of his door.

Taking the parcel and giving one last glance around the hallway, Harry retreated back into his room closing the door behind him.

Transfiguring a little wooden table, Harry laid down the Parcel before using his wand to unwrap it. Upon fully unwrapping the parcel, Harry realized that it was a book. Picking up the book and flipping to the first page, Harry almost dropped the book in shock when he saw the contents.

It was the mind arts. Harry had only heard murmurs of those specific magics. He had been shocked when he learned that some witches and wizards were capable of looking into and controlling the mind of others.

He spent many hours over the last few months looking into methods that could defend one's mind from attack, but only found mention of a name. Occlumency.

Harry couldn't find as much as a single book in the entire library that went into greater details and was starting to get desperate.

He had even written to some of his Hogwarts professors, desperate as he was.

More specifically, Flitwick and Snape. Those two taught his best subjects, and Harry was curious to learn if they knew anything.

Shaking his head to clear his train of thoughts, Harry almost didn't notice the letter at the bottom of the parcel.

 _I am holding my end of the deal, don't let this get to your head._

Harry smiled, happy that Elena finally decided to hold onto her promise. Placing the book into his expanded trunk, Harry laid down and prepared to Christmas day.

Waking up the next morning feeling well rested after his night, Harry got up and decided to go to breakfast. Opening the door, Harry was somewhat surprised to see a large box on the ground.

Taking the note on top, Harry read the message.

 _I thought you may like this,_

 _Victor Krum_

Cracking a smile at whatever Victor did Harry levitated the box into his room, before shutting the door.

Opening the box, Harry pulled a large translucent sphere out of it. Staring at it in confusion, Harry picked up the book in the side of the box. Flipping to the first page, Harry saw that it was a vision sphere.

They were incredibly rare and had the unique ability to project what one was thinking into the surrounding area. They were somewhat like a pensive, except instead of memories they should current thoughts and ideas.

Smiling, Harry made a note to thank Victor for this later. They usually cost thousands of galleons, with there only being less than a thousand in the world.

Tucking the sphere into his trunk alongside the occlumency book Elena had given him, Harry proceeded to make his way to breakfast. There were no classes today, as it was one of the few occasions where many students left the school.

Dinning in the partly empty hall, Harry was surprised when none other than Elena Blackwell sat across from him.

"Thanks for book." Harry spoke, after a short pause. "It was kind you."

"I expect that back by the beginning of next year." She interrupted, giving in the same glare she always did.

"Ok." Harry said, waving a hand dismissively. "Anything else you want to say?"

She stayed quiet for several moments, before letting out a quiet "Thanks" and moving off. Harry stared after her, surprised to every see the day where the vicious Blackwell heiress would every thank someone.

Smiling at how wonderful his day was going so far Harry was not surprised to see Victor sit down across from him, already drenched in sweat from his quidditch training.

"You are going to kill yourself if you keep training this hard." Harry told him bemused. He was only partly joking, Victor's workouts were brutal, with him devoting almost as much time to training as he did to his classes.

It was kind of problematic. Harry hoped he would calm down if he was accepted into a professional quidditch team, but he knew the chances of that happening were low.

"I know my limits." Victor shrugged. "I know where my potential is."

Harry sighed. Despite the adequate improvement Victor made since the beginning of term he was still only a mediocre student, and he knew it. He saw quidditch as his way to shine, and therefore put everything he has into it.

"Let's go flying." Victor said. Harry stared at him, aghast. It was freezing out, with the snow many feet high.

Seeing Harry's expression, Victor let out a laugh.

"There are warming charms, you know." He said, guffawing at Harry's face.

"I'll watch from the ground, thank you very much." Harry responded sourly. Although the warming charms would protect him from the cold, he had no intention to fly around with wind speeds that could knock down houses.

The day progressed with Victor playing way too much quidditch, and Harry thanking him for his gift.

After parting so Harry could do a bit of studying, he arrived in the library and noticed Elena in the corner again.

Walking over the her, he noticed that she was asleep on top of a book snoring quietly. Smiling despite himself at the site, Harry turned around and prepared to walk away before hesitating.

Transfiguring a blanket from a nearby sheet of paper, Harry laid it down around Elena's shoulders.

Chuckling at the site, Harry left the library and proceeded to have dinner. After finishing eating, Harry walked around the school for a bit, before deciding to go to one of the sections he had not been to.

* * *

Arriving at the entrance to a room he hadn't been to before Harry reached out to take hold of the handle, before loud "Stop!" prevented him from grabbing hold mere inches from the door.

Turning to look at the speaker, Harry saw headmaster Karkaroff walk up to him. Opening his mouth to speak, Harry was rendered silent by Karkaroff hand smacking him across his face. Shocked into silence, Harry watched as Karkaroff waved his wand at the door before sighing in relief.

Turning to face him, his relief turned into anger. Grabbing his arm, he began to drag Harry away from the room.

"What are you doing around Grindelwald's study?!" He spoke loudly. "Do you know how dangerous that room is."

As it happens, Harry did not. He knew that most students didn't go to that section, but he had never been told why. Now knowing that the room was the study of Grindelwald, Harry could understand the concern.

From what he knew, Grindelwald was one of the best fighters ever, with a mastery in almost all subjects. He no doubt laid many of the protections around the school, and no doubt laid more…extreme spells around his personal study.

Arriving back at the regular section of the school, Karkaroff released his grip on Harry's arm before turning to face him.

"If you are caught near that room again, there will be consequences." He threatened, before turning and walking in the direction of the headmaster's office.

Watching Karkaroff storm off, Harry put his hand to his cheek and felt the fading red marks from where he had been hit. Deciding not to risk Karkaroff's temper again for the sake of his curiosity, Harry decided to return to his room.

Arriving at his dorm and locking the door behind him, Harry opened his trunk and got out his gifted book on occlumency. Deciding to read as much as possible today, Harry sat down and began reading.

The subject was confusing, there was no doubt about that. The instructions on how to create a mental barrier were muddled and vague. However, it did give great pointers for how to recognize when someone is attempting to enter your mind.

It also proved a long-standing suspicion in Harry, that Dumbledore had indeed used legitimacy on him in order to read his mind. It irked him that the headmaster of a children's school would go to such measures, but know he had a lead on how to protect himself from such methods.

Deciding to wait until he got his reply from Snape and Flitwick, Harry put away the book and laid down in bed, exhausted from al that he learned during the day.

His normal routine resuming, Harry proceeded through the next two weeks before he got his reply's back from Hogwarts. Flitwick sent a very kind, professional note to him.

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _I must apologize, but as you are no longer a student of Hogwarts I cannot in good faith to my station answer that question. It is not out of any personal dislike, but as it is an area of…_

It sounded very nice, but all it was saying was that he couldn't answer the query because he didn't know if he could trust Harry.

Soon after Snape's letter arrived, which was slightly more promising.

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _I have heard of occlumency before but cannot say more in an open letter. If you wish to learn more about that area of magic, then I would suggest waiting until the end of the school year. At that point, I might be willing to educate you on the matter. However, keep in mind that I do not tolerate subpar students, and although you are no longer a student here, I expect the same quality I promoted when you were a student here._

 _Severus Snape._

Putting down the letter, Harry had mixed feelings. On one hand he was finally getting some answers pertaining to the mind arts, but he would have to wait until the summer to get them.

Harry resolved to contact Snape near the end of the year to try and arrange for a meeting. Pushing thoughts about occlumency out of his head, Harry turned his attentions back to his classes.

Charms was progressing nicely, with professor Emsorth proving his worth in the classroom. Harry found barring transfiguration, all the classes had final evaluations where the students would be tested for the content they learned during the year.

The class that worried Harry the most was perhaps transfiguration. He was getting quite nervous about the project, although it wasn't due for more than for months. Harry couldn't seem to find what to do for his project.

Settling for transfiguring a flock of birds like the _Avis Charm_ except purely with transfiguration, Harry hoped that would allow him to pass.

Potions was going well. Harry had finally managed to correctly brew a successful batch of Skele-Gro. He was confident in his ability to pass the final evaluation with only minimal hesitation.

Harry's first year dark arts class was progressing smoothly. While many of the spells they were learning were not technically 'dark arts', many progressed towards spells of a darker inclination.

All in all, Harry was enjoying his first year at Durmstrang although there were several odd occurrences. Elena Blackwell had started sitting at Harry's table in the library, although she didn't talk much. She still didn't eat with him at lunch, but that probably had more to do with the glares Victor was sending her at every opportunity.

On the topic of Victor, he finally got a girlfriend. Her name was Kentra Bosen, and she was from an old pureblood line from Poland. Harry would never tell Victor, but she annoyed him. She was always talking and would giggle at every little thing Victor said.

Harry was happy for Victor, he truly was. He just wished Victor would have dated someone who was more…well read.

The girl couldn't even spell Grindelwald correctly! And he was one of the strongest dark lords ever.

Sighing in frustration, Harry decided he needed to get out and blow some steam. It was midafternoon and while it was still cold out, the chilly February air was a slight bit better than the January weather.

* * *

Walking out of the castle after applying a warming charm to himself, Harry travelled a small distance from the castle before entering a small patch of forest. Moving so that he was out of view from the castle, Harry prepared to cast the spell.

" _Aqua Eructo_!" Harry intoned.

A stream of water shot out of his wand, impact with a tree branch and shredding the leaves from its grasp. His excitement was short lived, as the water originating from his wand began to write and twist. The force almost tore Harry's wand straight out of his grip.

Deciding to take caution, Harry cancelled the spell despite wanting to see how it played out. Watching as the flow of water stopped, Harry stood for a moment before deciding to head back to the castle.

During his return, Harry thought about what he wanted to get done by the time he returned to the orphanage.

His musings were interrupted when he noticed a group of fifteen and sixteen year old students exit the castle. Harry would have paid them no mind, except he recognized the two students who he fought several months ago among their numbers.

He has no more fights since then, but he made sure never to stay isolated for long. As they were surrounded by friends Harry didn't want to risk any retaliation from them now, so he ducked behind a rock.

Waiting for them to pass, he was about to resume his journey to the castle when he heard one of the students mention 'Fiendfyre'. Recognizing the name for the infamous cursed fire, Harry was under no illusion that he could control it at this point.

Curious about whether they would try and cast it Harry glanced at the castle and then back at the students, who were moving farther away from the castle.

Deciding to follow them, Harry moved stealthily making sure to remain quiet and obscured. Following the students to a small ravine in the earth, Harry watched as they gathered around. They began to cast spells, several of which Harry recognized as containment wards.

Excitement building over whether he would see a successful casting of the spell, Harry crouched with anticipation behind his rock.

At last, one of the older looking students raised their wand in the air and muttered " _Fiendfyre_ ".

Harry watched as a small flame appeared from the tip of the student's wand, before slowly growing. The boy threw the flame at the ground, smiling as the flame remained under his control.

Letting out a cheer, the rest of the students congregated around the boy congratulating him for his achievement. Except for one student, a girl who started walking towards the still contained Fiendfyre.

'Cancel the spell!' Harry thought furiously as the girl continued to approach. Standing not even a foot away from the fire which appeared to swirl slightly, the girl let out a smirk. And that was the last Harry saw of her.

The Fiendfyre burst free and engulfed the girl, consuming her in seconds before turning to the others. Harry wasted no time and bolted towards the castle, with flames rising up behind him to the screams of the students.

Running faster than he had ever ran before, Harry sprinted towards the castle at breakneck speed. When at last the castle came into sight, Harry let out a sigh but continued to sprint, not turning for fear of slowing down.

'I'm going to make it!' Harry thought, sweating and hacking as he made the last quarter mile run. It was not to be though.

Harry tripped on a rock and tumbled to the ground. Turning, he saw the flames materialize from the woods. They took form, part of the flame taking the figure of a snake while the other took the shape of a bear.

Realizing that he had less than thirty seconds before the fire caught up to him, Harry thought over his options. He had no clue how to disapparate, and there was nobody else who could stop the fire before it reached him.

The only spell he could think of that could save him as Aqua Eructo, and he just failed at controlling it.

The Fiendfyre had already closed the distance by half, and soon it would be upon him. Taking a deep breath, Harry shakily rose to his feet before slowly raised his wand in the direction of the oncoming fire.

" _Aqua Eructo."_ Harry spoke, willing with all his might that this would work.

Unlike before where just a stream appeared, this time a flood of water poured out of his wand. The force was so immense that he was thrown into the air and slammed into the ground as the water and fire melded into a vortex of endless swirling power.

Feeling his control of the water decrease more Harry tried not to gag when the water engulfed him, drowning him. He tried not to scream, tried not to cry as the water started to crush him. He wondered if this was where he died.

But before he felt the water crush his body, the water stopped and proceeded to collapse. Harry fell, just realizing that the water had lifted him high into the air. Seeing the ground heading towards him, Harry fell unconscious before he hit.

* * *

 **And there you have it, another chapter.**

 **Until next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **I forgot to mention it earlier, but the reason that Harry doesn't have his invisibility cloak is because Dumbledore withheld it once he noticed the association between Harry and Quirrell**

 **Also, it was brought to my attention that this story had prominent similarities to _Harry Potter and the Boy who lived._ Don't worry, because I intend to make drastic changes during the summer of Harry's fourteenth birthday.**

 **Please keep in mind that although this is my first story, I have read many pieces of fanfiction revolving around Harry Potter. Many of those pieces of work have rubbed off on me, and their influence may be shown here. I will try to keep any influence to a minimum, but some overflow is inevitable. Please let me know if I start taking too much from any one story.**

 **Thanks! :)**

* * *

Harry awoke with a start, remembering that he was almost suffocated by his own spell. Glancing around frantically, he saw that he was in the hospital wing and began to calm down marginally.

Turning his head, Harry saw several sheets covering the forms of several bodies. Harry didn't need to guess who they were. He averted his eyes when he saw that he was not alone in the room.

Karkaroff stood there, alternating between staring at Harry and glaring at the bodies. Once seeing Harry awake, he made is way over.

"Mr. Potter." He started, looking as apologetic as someone like him could. "My apologies that you had to go through that."

"We promote experimentation" He continued. "But not to the point of foolishness. Fiendfyre is one of the most advanced dark art spells in existence, way about the capabilities of undergraduates."

"Much like aqua eructo." He spoke, beady eyes locking onto Harry's. "fiendfyre takes a tremendous amount of willpower, such that most individuals are simply unable to control it. I am somewhat surprised you managed to last as long as you did."

Staying silent for a moment, Karkaroff continued. "It has been nearly a week since you arrived here Mr. Potter." He finished.

Harry stared for a moment, wondering if this was one of Karkaroff's cruel jokes. A whole week?

"You are cleared to leave at your own leisure, and your teachers have been notified of your absence." He finished, turning to leave.

"Wait sir." Harry spoke. "Who contained the Fiendfyre?"

"It was Emsorth and Ashen." Karkaroff answered, before departing from the hospital wing leaving Harry alone wit the covered corpses of what remained of his classmates.

So, his charms and dark arts teachers were enough the quell the flames. It wasn't surprising considering that fiendfyre was harder to contain the larger it grew, and the fiendfyre was still quite small by the time it had gotten to Harry.

Sighing, Harry laid back and let a tear trickle down his cheek. That was the closest he had ever come to dying, and he fought a troll for Merlin's sake!

Resting in bed for an hour, Harry's rest was interrupted by the door slamming open and Victor striding in. What surprised Harry was that Blackwell was with him, and the two couldn't stand each other!

"Harry!" Victor explained, moving beside his bed. "Are you okay."

"Ok is subjective." Harry responded. Elena rolled her eyes and stood at the end of the bed.

"Nobody expected any students to be stupid enough to try fiendfyre." She commented. "It is one of the strongest spells ever, no mere student should be able to control it."

Harry couldn't help but wince at that. The boy who summoned the fiendfyre seemed so confident in his abilities, he made Harry feel bad about himself.

And now he was dead, Harry mused. He wondered if this is the first time someone killed themselves experimenting with spells out of their level. Recalling how he almost killed himself with his aqua eructo, Harry concluded that it was probably not.

Getting out of the bed with a wince and groan of pain. Harry struggled to his feet.

"What time is it?" He asked the two. It was dark out, but he had no clue what time of the night it was.

"Just past seven." Victor responded. Elena remained silent to the point, before sighing softly.

"Teach me." She asked, looking at Harry straight in the eyes. "Teach me how to use Aqua Eructo."

Harry stared at her, recalling how his use of that spell almost got him killed.

"I cannot control it." He replied, not looking either one in the eye. "I almost got myself killed trying to protect myself."

"If you hadn't cast that spell you would be dead." She retaliated, not budging an inch.

"Give him a break, he almost died." Victor snapped. Elena turned to face him with a scowl, and the two glared at each other.

"Maybe another time." Harry interrupted their argument, not wanting to see wands drawn. "Once I've recovered."

Alena smiled, while Victor grumbled. Walking out of the hospital wing with a slight limp, Harry turned back to glance at the bodies.

'They didn't really deserve the die.' Harry thought. 'They were just kids. Stupid, foolish, kids.'

Turning his back on the corpses, Harry walked back to his dorm, accompanied by his two friends.

* * *

The next few days were an adjustment back to his regular schedule. He got copies of the notes taken in class from other students. His teachers were slightly less pressing in class, and Harry got the impression that he earned an inkling a respect.

The days passed into weeks, which gradually turned into months as the finals approached. Harry put the incident with the fiendfyre to the back of his head, but he never forgot. Sometimes when he slept at night, he heard the screams and saw the fire and water swirling around him.

One positive to his encounter was the Elena and Victor stopped trying to kill each other. They were still hostile and preferred not staying in each other's company. However, they tolerated each other for Harry's sake, and he was thankful for that.

Taking his experience with the fiendfyre and aqua eructo to heart, Harry put his outdoor experimentation on hold. While he continued to learn new and interesting magics, he decided to pace himself, at least until he got a firm grasp of what he was learning.

At last, it was the month before finals. Harry began spending more time in the library. At his insistence, Victor took time off from his quidditch routine to study more, which said a lot.

Speaking of Victor, the day after his last final he was portkeying away to the Bulgarian stadium for a tryout. If he made the cut, he could see action as soon as the following summer. Harry felt proud for him, wishing him the best in his quidditch conquest.

On a less positive note, Victor's girlfriend continued to annoy. It wasn't like she was a bad person, but Harry got the vibe that she was latching onto him for some reason. He put that to the back of his head for the meantime.

Upon the arrival of his first evaluation, Harry nervously walked into his charm's classroom at the given time. Upon making his way to the front of the classroom, Harry contemplated the differences between the Hogwarts Final and Durmstrang final.

For his first finals at Hogwarts Harry simply took a test for each class. Here at Durmstrang, each class had their own practical evaluation to determine the quality of the student. No two classes had the same evaluation style. One common theme though, is that the student would arrive at their usual classroom when instructed and would then have to complete the assignment given to them.

They would then be ranked accordingly, based off their performance.

Harry snapped out of his musings and walked up to professor Emsorth. Upon seeing that he was ready, Emsorth asked several questions.

"What is the purpose of depulso?"

"what charm makes an object change color?"

Many more questions followed, with them getting more difficult each time.

"What is the name of the charm that hides a secret within a person?"

Answering each question, upon hearing the last one Harry thought over what spells he knew fit that description. Smiling, Harry turned to answer his professor.

"The fidelius." Harry answered, confident in his reply. He was somewhat surprised by the easy final, but perhaps he simply overstudied?

"Good." And with that professor Emsorth waved his wand and the door opened. A bit put out by the easy evaluation, Harry made his way to the door.

"Your use of aqua eructo was excellent, Mr. Potter." Emsorth interrupted, as Harry turned to face him. "I would be interested if you could fully master that spell before you graduate."

Smiling, professor Emsorth waved him off, and as Harry left, he thought that maybe Emsorth had taken a liking to him.

His next final was later that day. For potions he was asked to identify several potions, in a similar manner to his initiation. He then had one hour to brew a potion of his choice. Harry picked a potion that tested his capabilities, as he thought that would give him the best score.

Unlike his charm's final, there were several students being evaluated in the room with Harry. As his hour neared its end, Harry bottled his Drought of Peace potion. Passing it in to professor Mendon, Harry turned and left the class.

The following day his other two finals went much the same way. Harry had passed in his transfiguration project, which was a watch that transfigured into a bird and whistled the time.

It was a pain to enchant, an endeavor that took several nights. Content with the progress he had made, Harry moved on to his last final.

His evaluation for the dark arts was…. different. Students were cursed by other students, and to pass their final they had to give the counter for the spell used on them. Harry was a tiny bit nervous, as he didn't want to get hit with a bone breaking or stomach rotting curse.

He had nothing to worry about, as his caster, first year Eran Lucan sent the conjunctivitis curse at him. Feeling a burning sensation in his eyes and not being about to see with any clarity, Harry quickly cast the counter curse and was relieved when his vision returned.

Preparing to fire off a curse at Eran, Harry took pity upon seeing the slightly frightened expression that was apparent only for a moment.

"Incarcerous." He muttered, watching as ropes appeared and bound Eran. Eran was barely able to reach his wand, and with a muttered counter the ropes disappeared.

Having completed his evaluation, Harry left the room. Now he had two days before the portkey would take him back to King's Cross. He would receive his scores about a week into the summer.

* * *

Hoping that he did well, Harry proceeded to his room. The place had changed a lot since the beginning of the year. While still not as welcoming as the Hogwarts dorm, there was a certain amount of care put into its furnishings.

While the walls were bare, Harry had transfigured a dresser onto one side of the room. While it was liable to revert to its previous form, Harry ensured that should it revert it would not damage any of the clothes within.

Looking at the bed, now a soft and comfortable sleeping place made Harry remember his first night where he slept on a wooden frame. Shivering in disgust, Harry started to pack up his trunk.

Recalling that he needed to say goodbye to both Victor and Elena, Harry made his way to Victor's room. Knocking on the door, Harry walked in only to not feel his feet.

"Ow, it's just you." Victor said, cancelling the mud that had surrounded and solidified around Harry's feet.

"just coming in to say goodbye, and to have a good summer." Harry said.

"Of course, it'll be great!" Victor went on. "I have the greatest opportunity of my life tomorrow. If I make the professional league not only will I become rich and famous. I'll be able to get away from this hellhole."

Feeling at bit offended on Durmstrang's behalf, Harry remained silent as Victor continued to go on about how great his life was going to be when he got in.

"Thanks again for sending that letter." Victor spoke, after finishing his rant. "I might not have gotten the interview without your recommendation."

"Your welcome." Harry responded, still a bit miffed about Victor's still disregard for school. It wasn't all bad though, apparently Victor thought that he had managed to pass third year charms. That was great, because it meant that he wouldn't be expelled for incompetence.

He just wished that Victor would take school a bit more seriously. Leaving his friends room with a sigh, Harry decided to go say goodbye to Elena. Coming to a stop in the hallway, Harry come to a sudden realization. He had no clue where her room was.

She never decided to tell him, and he never thought to ask. This led to him wandering around aimlessly for a bit. About to give up and call it a day, he literally ran face first into her.

"Bloody…. oh, hey Elena." Harry spoke, after cursing his aching nose. Looking at her, she seemed to be in an equally unlucky state. They had both tumbled to the ground upon contact, and both made their way to their feet.

"Always running around." She muttered, giving Harry an agitated glare. He had long since gotten acclimated her angry stares and thought that he might it during the summer.

"I just wanted to say goodbye." Harry spoke, turning slightly red in the ears.

"Funny way of showing it." She replied, feeling the small bump that Had appeared on her cheek. "Why are you always causing trouble?"

"It's just part of my job." Harry gave a cheeky grin and proceeded to give Elena a hug. She locked up, and here eyes widened comically.

"Well, bye." And with that Harry shot off, as he saw Elena reach for her wand with her entire face transforming to into an angry red.

Laughing, Harry spent the next hour half dodging curses, while ducking into corners and around statues. Finally losing her by hiding in a classroom, Harry let out a soft sigh as Elena ran past.

"Running from girls already, Mr. Potter?" A voice spoke from behind. Harry turned around and noticed professor Emsorth there, grading papers. Suffering mental collapse, Harry finally realizing that he had ran into his charm's professors' room.

"Sorry, professor." Harry apologized. "I just needed to hide in the nearest classroom."

Letting out a snort, Emsorth waved his apology off. Returning to grading papers, Harry decided that was his moment to leave.

Walking out of the classroom after thoroughly checking all sides, Harry returned to his room. Although he would be leaving in just wo days, Harry decided to pack up most of his stuff. Packing almost everything into his trunk, Harry proceeded to go get Victor for dinner.

After his last dinner with his friend for the school year, Harry parted with Victor after yet again wishing him well in his tryout the next day, which he needed to leave early for. Heading to bed Harry laid down, preparing for his last full day at Durmstrang.

Waking up the next day, Harry walked into the dining hall and noticing that there were only a portion of the students as from last night.

It wasn't unexpected, Harry mused. On this day almost, all the students leave for their homes, most taking portkeys home throughout the day. As students gradually stood up and left for home, Harry decided to try his experiment one last time.

Walking out of the castle he moved towards the same spot he tried his spell, before the whole fiendfyre thing happened. Arriving in the isolated patch of forest, Harry stood out his wand.

He stared at it for several moments, before slowly lifting it into the air.

" _Aqua Eructo_." He intoned quietly. What followed next was neither a stream nor a flood. A small trickle of water come forth from the wand, and it writhed and twisted just as before.

Harry kept his composure though, and with only the slightest pit of dread forming in his stomach he kept firm hold of the wand. The water surrounded him, but he was able to keep it from engulfing him.

What followed was nearly five minutes of Harry trying to control a small trickle of water and being only somewhat successful. Once he felt fatigue set in Harry cancelled the spell and waved back on forth on his feet.

'It's not legendary, but it's a starting place.' He thought, trying not to let the dizziness get to him. Just five months ago he had been unable to control the spell at all, and now he could exert force into the spell. It wasn't finished, not by a long shot but it was a beginning.

Walking back to the castle, Harry entered and was immediately aware of how empty the place was. While it was not uncommon to walk down an empty hallway, there was always the sound of voices or footsteps echoing through the corridors.

Sighing, Harry had dinner in the now empty dinning hall. Glancing around, Harry saw the remainder of his fellow peers. Many were discussing with each other, although the topic of their conversations was disrupted by the overall sound of voices echoing throughout the large room.

Victor and Elena had both departed throughout the day, with Victor leaving at the crack of dawn for his tryout and Elena leaving just after lunch. She had passed by him and looked about to say something, before moving on.

Glancing at where Victor normally sat, Harry was suddenly quite bored. He knew that just before sundown the following day he would portkey back to Britain and return to his orphanage.

He really didn't have anything against the orphanage or the people there, but after a full year at Durmstrang Harry didn't want to return to the mundane. And the pureblood mindset might be getting to him.

While there were no mobs going around Durmstrang preaching magical supremacy, it was evident that most students believed themselves above the nonmagical.

Harry couldn't blame them. He spent his whole youth surrounded by them, and at many times believed he was one of them but now he was beginning to start slipping into a superiority complex. It wasn't intentional either, but a kid surrounded by other kids all saying the same thing led to a certain mindset developing. He wondered what someone who never had exposure to the non-magical would think.

It was not hard to imagine that witches and wizards who grew up in the wizarding world would obtain a warped view of muggles. He could imagine them believing that muggles were cavemen, without any manners and very animalistic.

While many ended up being exposed to the muggle world sometime throughout their life and seeing the technology there, quite a few still maintained the visage they had of the muggles.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Harry arrived at his room. Going in, Harry laid down on last time for the school year on his bed.

Closing his eyes, Harry never would have believed that he could miss this dreaded room. But now, he knew he would. He would miss the damp cold and the horrible food. He would miss the dangerously unhindered learning methods. Because he loved what they represented.

He would miss the magic. Spending the next several months in a nonmagical orphanage, Harry would need to pay a visit to Diagon Alley or he would lose his mind.

Drifting off into sleep, the world faded to black as Harry dreamed.

* * *

Waking up with a sigh Harry laid back down into bed, savoring the feeling of his transfigured sheets. He hadn't gotten it right the first few times, with the texture and quality being off kilter many times.

Getting up out of bed, Harry decided to grab a quick bite. Walking into the dinning hall, Harry was one of about two dozen students who were still here. Unlike the previous night, there was very little talking, as most students were prepared to leave soon.

Taking one last walk around the school, Harry remembered that his grades would be coming out in less than a week. Recalling how the grading system different from Hogwarts, Harry walked aimlessly through the halls.

First of hall, there were six levels a student could get for their final. In order from top to bottom, they were M, W, A, S, R, and F.

M stood for masters and this was the highest that any students could achieve. Harry found out the hard way that each professor had the option of giving exams of different difficulty. That way, even though Harry preformed great on high finals, they were not on a level worthy of receiving a master's grade.

Harry was slightly miffed when he found out and was irked that the teachers had the ability to make or break a student's grade.

Moving on, the next grade was W which stood for well-learned. This was for the students who displayed both skill and interest in each subject. Harry believed that he would score at least a W for his charms and potions finals.

Harry also believed that he could have possibly scored a W for his transfiguration project, but that one was in the air. Moving on, the next grade was A, which stood for acceptable. This is the score Harry believed that he got for the dark arts class.

This was because although he was able to both block a offensive spell and retaliate with one of his own, both spells were of a basic level. Therefore, he was unlikely to get a W, and believed that he deserved an A.

Below A was S. This stood for sub-par. It was the grade given to a student who was not completely incapable in a class but still was unable to complete a substantial portion of the final. Getting an S was more common in classes that had more complex magics.

Classes like transfiguration, potions, ancient runes, and arithmancy were some of the subjects that gave out S's more frequently than charms, dark arts, and magical creatures. That was not to say that students performed better in those classes, but there was a larger section of middle quality performances.

Below S there was R and F. Both meant that a student was unable to advance any further. However, with R standing for repeat, a student had the option to retake that specific course at the level they were at. F on the other hand, meant that a student failed out of their class without the ability to retake it.

From what Harry heard it was almost impossible to fail a class if a student applied even marginal effort to it.

Only those who either never attend class or finals, and those who must repeat several years in a yow usually get an F.

Clearing his head, Harry noticed that the sun was setting. Knowing that he was expected to present himself before Ulen Messernacht before his portkey back home, Harry sought the man out.

He had been told that he was to arrive at the deputy headmaster's office at least five minutes before eight in the evening. Upon finding him at his office, Harry proceeded inwards.

Giving no visible reaction to his presence, the deputy headmaster continued writing on a piece of parchment. Finishing a line, he finally put his quill down and stared at Harry.

"While final grades are still being determined, I have been informed that you have passed all of your courses." Giving an internal 'whoop' Harry couldn't help but be somewhat relieved. While he had believed that he had performed well, there was a shadow of doubt that he had messed up.

"Your transportation for next year will be identical to this year." Ulen continued. "A portkey will arrive two days before activation and will activate at 11:00 in the morning exactly."

The deputy headmaster tossed a piece of rope onto the desk, with Harry moving to pick it up.

"You have become a Durmstrang student, Mr. Potter." Ulen's voice interrupted his movement. "I, and the rest of the staff will continue to expect high performance from you every year moving forward."

Giving a curt nod, Harry grasped firm hold onto the rope. This time knowing what to expect, he was still surprised at the feeling of being squeezed through a tight tube.

As Harry disappeared from his office, Ulen Messernacht snorted and resumed his writings.

* * *

Arriving with a 'pop' Harry was in an area of King's Cross he had only been in twice. He had landed in Platform 9 and 3/4's. There was nobody else there, and the iconic Hogwarts Express was notably absent. It took Harry a moment to realize that the Hogwarts students obviously got out at a different time.

As he looked around, he was aware of how different and decrepit the place looked now. Without the happy parents and children, and the familiar horn and red paint of the Hogwarts express, the entire place looked just a bit sad and empty. Shaking his head, Head made his way out of the platform via the magic gateway.

Arriving in the non-magical section of the station, Harry looked around. Normal everyday people going about their lives, not a hint of excitement or enthusiasm to be found. Except for the three year old throwing a tantrum in one corner, while her mom tried to calm her down.

* * *

It was a nice day out, with the occasional cloud disrupting what would otherwise be a completely blue sky. Travelling along his usually rout, Harry found himself standing in front of his orphanage in no time.

He didn't know why he felt so different about returning this time. When he got back from Hogwarts it was just a simple transition to readjust back into his old place. Now, for some reason he felt a pit form in the bottom of his stomach at the thought of being back.

Pushing his regrets out of his head, Harry walked up to the front and knocked. Ms. Chelsa was the one who opened to door and smiled upon seeing Harry.

"Back already, Harry?" She asked, stepping back and allowing him to enter. As he walked through the door, Harry noticing at a quick glance that Ms. Chelsa was continuing to acquire grey hairs, although there was still plenty of vitality in her eyes.

"Yes, just got in this morning." Harry responded, being intentionally vague about his mode of transportation. "Weather was terrible on the way back, it caused a delay."

"Ow my" She responded. "Well it's good that you made it back in one piece. You still remember where your room is?"

"Of course." Harry responded, a bit miffed that she thought he would forget after staying in that room for nearly seven years. Sending him off with a smile Ms. Chelsa walked back into her office, where a young couple sat.

Harry almost paused when he noticed the familiar sight of adoption papers on the desk but continued onwards after a second. Most of the children adopted were young, with not many children over ten being picked up.

It was even less likely for him to get adopted. Spending around nine months of the year secluded out of the country left him with little time for meet and greets. Harry was unsure if he even wanted to be adopted at this point, with his focus on magic and development outshining any family desires.

Walking into his room and noticing the familiar cracked desk and shaky bed that inhabited the room, Harry reflected on another event that had happened before his departure from Durmstrang.

Recalling how the day after his last evaluation, Harry had been called to professor Emsorth's class. He had walked in anxious, nervous that he had indeed failed but was pleasantly surprised by what happened.

"Mr. Potter." Emsorth started as Harry entered. "I have one last thing to do for you before you return to Britain. Curious as the what his charms professor could impart on him before his departure, Harry listened curiously.

"Please hand me your wand." Emsorth continued. Harry stalled for a moment. He had always believed that a witches or wizards wand was their most important possession. Giving it over the someone, even if it was his professor gave him pause.

Curiosity winning out over caution, Harry handed his prized wand over. Taking hold of the wand, professor Emsorth looked it over with a focused eye before returning his gaze to Harry.

"Sycamore wood?" He questioned. At Harry's nod he waved his own wand over Harry's, and a small purple glow engulfed his wand for a moment.

"Now the trace has been removed from your wand." He spoke. Harry's mental processes froze, with his mouth hanging down comically.

"I don't need to impress upon you." Emsorth continued, giving Harry a stare. "That you are not to practice any advanced magic in the middle of London. Doing so could find you becoming an inhabitant of Azkaban."

Harry hadn't known whether to be scared or happy leaving the class. On one hand he could now practice magic, but on the other any mistakes or screw ups he made would be entirely on him.

Breaking free of his recollection, Harry set down his trunk, and proceeded to make sure the anti-muggle charms were in full effect. He had learned this spell in order to guarantee that neither the staff nor any of the nosy students would stumble upon his magic chest.

Now passing into the late afternoon, Harry debated what to do next. He recalled the letter that Snape had written to him. Taking it out of his trunk he read it over once more, before deciding it couldn't hurt to send his old professor another note now that the school year was over.

 _Dear Mr. Snape,_

 _I am writing to you in order to obtain information regarding the magic known as occlumency. Now that the school year is over as detailed in your letter, I am writing to you in order to find out the proper technique when using this form. Also, I would be interested in…._

Once finishing the letter and signing it, Harry was suddenly unaware that he had no way of sending it. When at Hogwarts and Durmstrang he had just used school owls, and all other letters were returned using the owls that sent the original message.

Knowing that he could purchase an owl in Diagon Alley, Harry decided to wait on his visit until sometime in the next few days. Heading down to eat dinner, Harry sat in his usual spot. Now nearing his thirteen birthday, Harry sat with the older group of kids.

These were the ones who were beginning to show signs of the hopelessness of being an orphan without any relatives. They sat with slightly hunched shoulders, and their smiles were now somewhat strained compared to the younger kids who didn't fully comprehend their situation.

Staring at the innocent young children, Harry recalled how once a child asked the matron when their parents would be coming back. Thinking back on it, he recalled how the matron put on a strained smile and proceeded to say "Someday."

Breaking free of this depressing train of thought before it consumed him, Harry shook his head and glanced around. Noticing Andrew Smeat staring at him, Harry averted his eyes. But his attempts to avoid a conversation were foiled.

"Hey Harry." Andrew started, taking a sip of his soup. "We were wondering when you would get back from your school. How was it?"

Conscious of the attention now being directed on him by the nearby students, Harry thought his response out carefully.

"Good." He started. "The return journey was horrible, the train broke down on the return trip and I had to wait several hours for it to be fixed."

Pulling this story out of thin air, lying was surprising easy to pull off for those who had no idea what to expect.

"How was the school? Make any friends?" Andrew continued. Harry took a moment to decipher his tone. It almost sounded like he was jealous.

"No." Harry responded, making sure to step carefully. "I spent most of my time studying."

Andrew opened his mouth to retort, but before he could their conversation was interrupted.

They heard sniffling from down to table, both Harry and Andrew glancing over. A young girl was sitting surrounded by who Harry assumed where her friends. She appeared very sad and was not eating very much.

"What happened to her." Harry side-whispered to Andrew, who seemed to pity the girl.

"Ow, she's Emily Bentworth." He whispered back, interrogation forgotten. "She was adopted from the orphanage about three days ago. Then suddenly, she was returned and the family that returned her said that she was not what they expected and left. The girl's been a mess since."

Andrew went back to picking at his foods while Harry processed the new information. He didn't want to start assuming details, but he wondered if she was possibly magical. It would not be unheard of for muggle parents to return an adopted child if supernatural occurrences followed them.

They may even assume it was a haunting. Harry wondered if any muggleborn children have ever been exorcised, or worse killed by their adopted parents. Shivering at the prospect Harry continued to eat.

Nearing the end of dinner, Harry was about to finish and quickly leave when Andrew's voice interrupted him.

"We were thinking of heading downtown tomorrow, to the shopping district." He began. "As you are the only other thirteen-year-old boy (or close enough) we were wondering if you wanted to come?"

"Who's we?" Harry asked. Andrew turned a bit sheepish and scratched his head.

"Well, it was just me, Jessica and Kate." He said. Harry recalled those two girls as the same ones who forced him to play a horrible boardgame last year. Thinking about replying no, Harry stalled. He realized that he could slip his visit to Diagon Alley in with their trip.

"Sure." Harry replied. "But I have to make a stop at one of the stores."

At Andrew's curious gaze, he quickly thought up the fastest story he could find.

"I need to get some supplies for my school next year." Harry said, realizing too late that this was not one of the best things he could say as it might bring scrutiny upon his school.

But to his relief, Andrew only sighed and looked at him with empathy.

"So not even boarding schools give you what you need?" He replied. "You don't know how embarrassing it is coming into class with a sack instead of a backpack."

Harry could imagine the embarrassment. It would be terrible if all the kids with families came into class with the newest equipment and toys, while the orphans couldn't even bring in new pencils.

Andrew must have assumed that Harry suffered from the same situation. Thankfully Harry's blunder had not caught on and may have even bought him some empathy.

"great, we are planning to leave tomorrow at about nine." And with that Andrew went back to eating. Assuming this the conversation was over Harry got up to leave.

* * *

Deciding to head back to his room while to other children continued to finish eating and talking, Harry's decision was altered when he saw the girl who had been returned get up before him and leave the hall.

Extremely curious about whether the girl was indeed magical, Harry decided to follow her. Recalling her name was Emily, Harry watched as she walked up to the second floor and sat on a windowsill at the end of the hall.

Harry walked up to her, and as soon as she heard footsteps Emily whipped her head around and glared at him.

"I don't need your pity!" She snapped. Harry would assume that she was either nine or teen, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Hiding the fact that he did indeed feel some pity, Harry prepared to respond.

"I have none." He said. "May I ask you a question?"

"I don't know why they gave me up!" She said, her voice cracking slightly. "I heard them tell Ms. Chelsa that weird things happened around me. I don't know why!"

"What kind of weird things?" Harry prodded gently. "What did they say."

"I don't know! They said they saw a phone lift into the air. They said they saw a bear I touched start to move on its own. I don't know what's happening!"

Breaking down, she began to silently cry with small trails of tears trickling down her cheek. Harry for his part had learned everything he needed to know. Emily was indeed a witch and had scared her adopted parents with her magic, which caused them to return her.

Unfamiliar with how to deal with crying people, especially crying children left Harry in a bit of an unfortunate situation. He didn't really want to console her, but he also didn't want to leave her.

Deciding to go with a middle route, Harry sat down on the floor next to the window.

"It's okay." He spoke, as Emily continued to softly cry. "They were just scared of what they didn't understand, that's all."

Her tears slowed down, and she glanced at him again.

"What do you mean?" She whispered. Satisfied that she was no longer crying, Harry thought of what to say next.

"Well, you are special." He continued. "You are different than regular children. Surely you have noticed strange things happening to you."

Crossing his fingers Harry hoped that Emily was indeed a witch, because he could get in a lot of trouble if she wasn't. He watched as she thought about anything weird that happened to her, before letting out a shy smile.

"Well, there was one time." She started, trying and failing to hide a smile. "There was this mean kid in my first-grade class. He was being mean to another boy and would keep pushing him down. I wanted him to feel what it felt like to get pushed down, and suddenly he smacked into the ground!"

She sounded like she didn't know whether to be amused or scared.

"How do you know he didn't just trip?" Harry interrupted. Kids were not the most coordinated of creatures, Harry could clearly imagine a young kid tripping and hitting the ground.

"The weird thing was." She resumed. "He didn't look lie he tripped. It was like something slammed him down from behind."

Not showing the slight worry he felt, Harry thought over what Emily told him. Such extreme accidental magic at first grade was not a good sign. If Harry didn't know for a fact that the orphanage wasn't negligent, or god forbid abusive, he might assume she had the potential for becoming an obscurus.

'That's a nasty thought.' Harry imagined the scenario and didn't like it. Pushing that trail of thought out the window, Harry put on his best smile.

"You are someone special." He spoke, watching as her tears fully stopped. "And someday, when you turn eleven you will get a letter."

Seeing that she was fully captivated by his words, he let out an internal 'whoop'.

"When that happens, you will go to a school, and be with kids just like yourself" He continued. "And you will learn how to control these things you do."

"is it magic?" She asked, looking at him in wonder. Harry didn't know what to say. On one hand, he really wanted to tell her the truth and that she was a witch. On the other hand, he was unsure about whether she could keep her mouth shut or would go telling everyone about it.

"I can't answer that now." He said, watching as the girls yes fell. "But when you turn eleven and that letter arrives, come see me. I will tell you everything then."

Harry stood up, and as he left the hall he glanced back and saw Emily staring out the window. Wondering if he told her too much, Harry found and entered his room. Setting down on his bed, Harry was interrupted by a frantic banging on the window.

Glancing over and seeing a midnight black owl banging on the outside of the window, Harry quickly opened it before someone noticed. The owl hopped in, and dropped a letter without prompt, before turning around the leave.

Flapping his wings, the owl took off, and banged into the side of the window. Hastily getting up, the owl turned to glare at Harry as if saying 'Don't tell anyone about this.' It was gone. Smiling in bemusement, Harry recognized the name of his best friend on the letter.

Wondering what Victor had been up to, Harry opened to letter. And stared. It was in a completely different language. Groaning in realization, Harry remembered that there was a spell over the Durmstrang castle that allow communication over different languages.

Realizing that this must have applied to writing as well, Harry felt like banging his head on the wall. Deciding to try and see if he could find a spell tomorrow at Diagon Alley that can translate languages, Harry peeked his head out an looked at the clock hanging at the end of the hall.

He could have just used a spell to figure out the time, but why risk the secrecy of his magic for something so simply. Closing the door with a sigh, Harry laid down in bed, prepping for his shopping trip the next day.

* * *

 **Conclusion, for now.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **If anyone is confused of the scores that Harry got, please refer to the last chapter. The grade breakdown is there.**

* * *

Waking up early even by his standards, Harry got up and proceeded to walk downstairs. Apparently, he was up so early breakfast hadn't even started.

"Harry." A voice spoke from behind. Turning, Harry saw Ms. Chelsa standing there.

"I was wondering if you could join me for a moment in my study?" She asked.

Harry felt like a child caught with his candy in the cookie jar. He recalled how only misbehaving children were sent to the study. Noticing his expression, Ms. Chelsa let out a small laugh.

"You aren't in trouble Harry, I just want to talk." Turning, she headed in the direction of her office.

Not seeing much of a choice, Harry followed her and entered the study. Only ever seeing this room in passing, Harry had to admit it had a cozy atmosphere to it. Sitting down in a small wooden chair and watched with some apprehension as Ms. Chelsa slowly sat and stared at him.

"Tell me about your school." She started kindly, taking a sip out of her cup.

"It is in upper Scotland." Harry began. "I cannot say much because the children of one of the international ambassadors go there, but it is nice."

"It has a great view from the dorms. When the sun rises every day, the entire lake glows with the light."

Finishing, Harry looked back Ms. Chelsa.

"What are your plans for the future?" She continued her questioning.

"I'm thirteen, not seventeen." Harry responded. "I don't really know what I want to do yet."

Actually, he did. But he wasn't going to tell his muggle orphanage matron that he wanted to get his mastery in charms. That would be absurd, so it would be easier if he pretended to have no clue.

"Might I ask what your favorite subject is?" She asked. Harry had no trouble coming up with an easy lie.

"Physics." Harry responded with fake pride. "I love learning about how the world works."

Smiling softly, Harry thought he heard her mumble something like "To be young". But he pushed that thought out of his head as Ms. Chelsa waved him out.

"One last thing Harry." She said as he was leaving. "I heard that you had helped calm Emily down after she was…. returned. I would just like to say, thank you."

Sighing, she continued. "Many of the children here never get adopted. But they know that and accept it. Emily had the illusion of a family and happy future, and that was shattered. I wanted to thank you for being there for her when she needed it."

Not having any words, Harry silently turned and left. Suppressing the small pit of sadness that appeared in his stomach, Harry thought of something before quickly turning and walking back to the edge of the office.

"One more thing, Ms. Chelsa." He spoke, as she glanced up at him. "I worked a bit at my school and earned some extra money. I was wondering if I could buy a pet.

Harry saw that she was conflicted, and for good reason. Pet's were loud, dirty and sometimes expensive to take care of. Not the king of thing you want in an orphanage.

"I have permission to keep it at school after this summer, please?" Harry begged, giving his best puppy dog eyes.

She visible battled with herself over whether to grant his request. Finally sighing in defeat, she nodded.

"I expect you to take full care of it, what kind of pet will you get getting?" She asked.

"An owl." Harry responded. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and harry hastened to explained himself.

"They are quite popular up north. It's very secluded and great for owls." He said, and at that explanation Ms. Chelsa's confusion became less apparent.

Walking out of the room, Harry was happy that he would finally get his own owl later. Proceeding to dinner, Harry ate quickly. Preparing for his shopping trip, Harry almost left without waiting for the three he promised to go with.

Arriving half an hour late Andrew, Jessica and Kate all ran downstairs. Walking out the front door, they proceeded down to the shopping district.

"How are you to pay for your supplies?" Andrew spoke. "Where did you get the money?"

Harry had thought over potential answers to questions like these the previous night. Therefore, he was thoroughly prepared for the question.

"I did come community service in the nearby town during the break." Harry responded. "It's not much, but it should get me what I need."

Nodding his head in apparent satisfaction, Andrew leaned over to whisper something in Harry's ear while glancing at the two girls. They didn't notice, as they were busy giggling and talking about who knows what.

"Thanks for coming." He started. "I wanted to spend some time with Jessica but didn't want it to be weird or anything."

Pausing for a moment, Andrew glanced over at Kate before leaning back to whisper something.

"I think that Kate likes you." He whispered, giving a small smile.

Harry was honestly confused about that. He had at most exchanged less than a thousand words with Kate over the course of his entire life. It baffled Harry that Kate could be attracted to someone like him.

'It's not like there are many options.' Harry thought morosely. He was one of the few boys in the orphanage who were around Kate's age after all. And with Andrew so apparently interested in Jessica, that narrowed down the options.

Trying to get the thought of a girl liking him out of his head, Harry noticed the Leaky Cauldron approaching.

"Well, this is where we part ways." He told the three. Harry was curious about seeing these anti-muggle charms in action, so quite obviously walked through the door of the Leaky Cauldron.

He was therefore quite amused when the three acquired confused expression and started looking around the entrance before shaking their heads. They then continued, reobtaining their previous happy expressions.

Although satisfied about seeing the wards in action, Harry was somewhat confused by their apparent disregard for where he had gone.

"Surprised by their reactions?" A man said from behind the counter. "As well as not seeing the entrance, any muggle who thinks too hard about the entrance will lose focus and continue on."

That made a surprising amount of sense and explained quite a bit. Being able to not only hide the magical world but being able to avert the muggles attention as well would go a long way in ensuring the stature of secrecy.

Moving through the pub, Harry recalled the pattern the open the brick wall. Watching them shift, Harry proceeded into Diagon Alley. Deciding the try his luck out at Flourish and Blotts, Harry walked in that direction.

* * *

Half an hour later, Harry emerged disappointed. They had no available books on translating spells, claiming they were not profitable. Deciding to save getting his owl to last, Harry walked down a side passage emerging into Knockturn Alley.

Making his way to Borgin and Burkes, Harry made sure to remain inconspicuous. Or as inconspicuous as any pre-thirteen-year-old boy can be in a shady shopping district that Harry was sure housed most of the criminals in the country.

Walking into the shop with the door banging shut behind him, Harry glanced around.

"You again, boy?" A voice spoke, revealing Mr. Borgin creeping around the counter.

"I am looking for a specific spell." Harry replied, no longer put off by Mr. Borgin's harsh tone. He was kinder than he used to be anyway.

"Ow, well I have plenty of that he." He cracked a smile, his yellow teeth and gauntly expression turning the happy face into something quite revolting.

"I need a spell that can translate different languages, from words and from paper." At that Mr. Borgin fell silent. Walking over to a table crowded with large books he spent several moments shuffling around, before finally removing a tome from the collection.

"This book was very hard to fin…."

"How much do you want for it?" Harry interrupted, wanting to get on with his day. If it was below 300 galleons, he would pay it.

Mr. Borgin stayed silent for a moment, probably wondering how much he could scam him for the book.

"I'd say about 500 galleons." Cracking a smile, he stared at Harry. Who proceeded to stare back. And they stared. And stared. And stared some more.

"250 galleons." Harry said at last, breaking his stare and beginning to get annoyed.

Mr. Borgin looked ready to retort but decided against it and took the money. Holding the book under his arm, Harry wondered if he would be attacked again. But it seemed that Mr. Borgin had a glimmer of intelligence, as he stayed his wand and just watched as he left.

'He probably ripped me off enough as it is.' Harry thought, grumbling about how much money he probably just wasted to get the tome.

'If it doesn't work…' He trailed off, imagining what he would do if he wasted all that time and money for a dud spell.

Walking back to the main section of Diagon Alley, Harry made his way to Gringotts to replenish his money. Nothing of note happened, except that the ride down and up was still as exciting as ever. He took about a thousand galleons in his bag, content that he would be able to buy everything he needed and still have more left over.

Walking towards Eeylops Owl Emporium, Harry debated what kind of owl to get. From what he knew, there were at least six different breeds of owl sold there. Deciding to just pick and buy, Harry walked in.

The first thing Harry noticed was that it was dark. Not very dark, but enough the make a substantial difference to the outside sunshine.

'Must be for the owls.' Harry thought, recalling that owls were nocturnal creatures.

Browsing all the options, Harry eventually came to two different options. There was a screech owl next to a snowy owl. Bot appeared calm, not causing a ruckus like all the other owls. They were both staring at him, as if saying "Pick me".

Unable to choose, Harry went up to the clerk and asked about the two.

"Both are fifteen galleons." He began. "And I would suggest the snowy owl for colder climates. The screech owl would be the better choice for many short-range trips, with the snowy owl needing more time to rest after each trip and preferring longer distances."

Deciding to choose the snowy owl. As Durmstrang was very cold and many of the letters being sent would be long distance, Harry assumed that would be the better choice.

"I will take the snowy owl." Harry told the clerk. Paying the man the necessary fifteen galleons, plus buying all the necessary accessories including food and owl treats. Leaving the store with owl in cage, Harry debated what to do next.

He had everything he needed from this trip and was curious if there was anything else that he could do. Deciding to take a stop at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. He had passed the place several times but never really bothered before.

Taking a bite of the ice cream he bought, Harry glanced at the snow-white owl he was now the owner of. They stared at each other for several moments, before Harry reached over and undid the cage door. Placing the cage on top of his small round table, Harry watched as the owl hopped out.

'What to name you.' Harry mused, staring at the owl debating what sort of name to give. He felt like the owl was a she, and there was a near endless amount of options. Deciding to just start naming random stuff, Harry wondered if his new owl was intelligent enough to pick a name.

"How about Hera?" Harry questioned. The owl gave a mean "hoot!". Continuing to give names, Harry mentally crossed out Hestia, Hecate, Maia, Ceto, Artemis, Athena, Maia and many more.

"How about Hedwig?" He questioned, about to give up. The owl's ear perked up, and after staring at him gave a smaller, much nicer sounding "hoot" than before. Satisfied that he finally found a match, Harry smiled.

"It would be weird if I carried an owl back to my orphanage, do you think you can find me a bit later?"

He was caught surprised when the owl let out a nasty hiss and pecked at his finger. A bit shocked by the suddenly hostile demeanor, Harry tried to think about what he did.

'Did….I offend her?' Harry thought. Was Hedwig prideful enough to take offense at someone questioning her abilities?

"I'm sorry, I was just curious." He said, holding out a treat as an apology. Hedwig turned her head and stared at the offered snack for a moment before taking the treat in her mouth and eating. Internally relieved that he did not alienate his owl after less than an hour, Harry sighed.

"So, if it's okay with you I will head back to my orphanage and you can follow me?" Harry questioned, still unsure if Hedwig was as smart as he was beginning to think. She hooted before spreading her wings and taking flight.

Somewhat curious to see if she will actually find him or if she would fly off into the wild, Harry got up and headed back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Exiting the dingy pub, Harry headed back to his orphanage. Arriving back, Harry quickly walked to his room to avoid unnecessary questions about the oversized book or empty owl cage. Arriving in his room Harry hastily opened his trunk and put everything in, except for the book on translating spells.

Deciding to spend the next hour reading up on the spell, Harry was disturbed from his reading by a loud knock on the door. Putting a slip of paper in the page he was on, Harry closed the section he was reading.

"Come in." He spoke, guessing at the identity of his visitor.

True to his prediction, Andrew walked in second later.

"Where did you head off to?" He asked. His question resurfaced Harry's memories of earlier that day when he had entered the Leaky Cauldron. Andrew and the two girls were unable to see him enter, and the wards distracted them from focusing on the subject.

"Didn't you see me enter the bookstore?" Harry asked, making this up on the run.

"…No." Andrew replied, not noticing the hint of apprehension on Harry's face. "But it's nothing big to worry about, we probably just missed it."

Letting out a silent sigh of relief, Harry politely smiled and listened as Andrew told him about his day. After about a quarter of an hour of Andrew blabbering and Harry listening, he was finally gifted with silence when Andrew left.

After Andrew departed, Harry left out a sigh. He really had nothing against the kid, but he was just focused on other things. Andrew liked to talk about mundane sports and beg Harry for help with his algebra homework. Harry liked charms and had most definitely fallen behind in his knowledge mundane subjects. The two lived in completely different worlds.

Harry was dragged out of his thoughts by a tapping on the window. Glancing over and noticing Hedwig perching on the outside of the window, Harry quickly went over and let her in.

'Guess she really is intelligent.' Harry thought wryly, as he gave Hedwig a treat. Taking out her cage and leaving it in the corner, Harry wondered if she would prefer sleeping in the cage or somewhere else. His answer was conveniently given when Hedwig hopped into her cage.

'That was easy.' Harry thought. Preparing for bed, Harry decided to spend the next several days perfecting the translation spell.

True to form, Harry spent the next few days reading over each chapter of his newly acquired book on translation spells. He only left to eat and use the bathroom. When questioned on why he worked so hard, Harry replied "I have to be prepared for my summer reading tests in the fall".

* * *

During this time, he had sent off Hedwig to deliver his letter to professor Snape. Still waiting on that reply, Harry was disrupted form finishing the eight chapter of the book by a loud banging on the window.

Recognizing that noise as not belonging to Hedwig, Harry turned and was immediately elated when he saw one of the Durmstrang owl's perched outside. Rushing over he opened the window and almost tried to snatch the letter away from the owl but refrained at the last moment.

"Give it here." He almost shouted, eager to see if the letter contained his scores. Taking the letter once it was deposited, Harry threw a treat in the general direction of the owl. Disregarding the indignant hoot that followed, Harry opened the letter.

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _Your following grades are as such:_

 _Transfiguration: A (Advance to year 3 Transfiguration)_

 _Potions: W (Advance to year 4 Potions)_

 _Charms: W (Advance to year 5 Charms)_

 _Dark Arts: A (Advance to year 2 Dark Arts)_

 _Spell Manipulation: Not applicable_

 _We hope to see you again this fall, all students are reminded to obtain all necessary supplies and equipment before arriving at Durmstrang._

Setting down the paper, Harry contemplated his scores. He was satisfied with potions and charms and accepted his dark arts grade. But he was slightly irked about his transfiguration scores.

Recalling how the teachers had the ability to alter a student's grade to their liking, regardless of the quality of the exam really irked him. Taking a deep breath, Harry calmed down and focused on his next year courses.

The only one that really stuck out to him was the 5th year charms. He was mostly sure that he would do fine in 4th year potions, and the remaining two classes would be fine. Harry resolved to make sure to put his best effort forward for charms during the upcoming year, as this class seemed to be his strength.

However, he couldn't start studying until the acceptance letter with all the requirements arrived, and it would be unlikely to arrive for several days.

Resolving to wait until the letter arrived, Harry turned his attention to the occlumency issue. He hoped that it could be worked on when Snape's letter came, Harry decided to wait it out.

And it was only four days later when said letter arrived with an unfamiliar owl that Harry had never seen before. The previous letter that he had exchanged with Snape had been via a Durmstrang owl.

Opening it, Harry read the response to his previous letter.

 _"Dear Mr. Potter_

 _While I cannot disclose more information here, I might be willing to explain in greater detail later this summer. I will not however, teach you in the ways of occlumency. It is simply too time extensive and costly to undertake. I will send another letter when I am willing to speak to you more on the matter, and I would advise you not to seek out any other instructor because it can lead to…._

Continuing for several more lines, Harry was left unsatisfied. He would not be getting those lessons after all. Although somewhat consoled by the promised explanation, Harry was still left somewhat miffed by the time he had fully processed the letter.

Deciding to let the matter rest for now, Harry decided to continue learning what he could on his own.

Over the next few weeks, Harry continued to research new and interesting pieces of magic. Nothing mind shattering, as per professor Emsorth's wishes but still unique pieces of magic.

He learned the basic's behind how wards work, sparked by his observation of muggles who lose interest in magical areas. He also learned more about how many charms have multiple purposes. Some charms that appear benign can be used with malicious intent, and vice versa.

Harry paid several more trips to Diagon Alley, once again searching for information of occlumency. Failing to find anything, Harry had to restrain himself from searching deeper in Knockturn Alley or one of the other unknown districts.

On another note, Harry had finally gotten the translation spell down and had used it on Victor's letter.

 _Dear Harry_

 _Great news! I have been accepted onto the Bulgarian national team! They are having me play as a substitute for the summer and say that I can begin playing full time over the school year. It was difficult to convince Durmstrang to let me compete, but I guess the good publicity would go a long way for the school, right? Thank you again for sending your letter, I might not have gotten where I am today without it._

 _I will not see you at the start of term this fall sadly, as that is around the time of my first game. I need to give it my all and cannot allow anything to stand of my way. I know how much that must annoy you, me giving up on education for the sake of quidditch. Know that this the path that I have chosen, and that it is what will bring me the most success._

 _I forgot to ask if you knew Bulgarian during school. This will be pretty stupid if you don't, but I think that even if you can't read this than you will find some way to translate it. That would be the Harry that I know._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Victor Krum._

Harry put down the letter. Victor was right, he was a bit irked that he was focusing so much on quidditch at the sake of his education. But he understood that not everyone is for the way of the scholar. Victor may simply be on of those people who are better in the air than they are on the ground.

Deciding to send a reply Harry got out is quill and ink, and thought about what to say.

 _Dear Victor_

 _I am of course happy the hear about your successful tryout. You were correct however when you said that I would be unhappy with your…_

Going on the politely say that Victor was stupid for putting off his education for a sport, Harry added to occasional vague pun in here and there. Sending Hedwig off to deliver the letter, Harry debated what to do next.

* * *

On the note of what to do next, Harry had realized something else interesting. The other magical kid in the orphanage Kate, had actually been ten. And now she was eleven. Three guesses as to what that means.

Harry had been rudely pulled from his readings by Kate smashing through his door waving a letter around herself madly. Harry had to spend several minutes working to calm her down.

"Does this mean I get to go to the magic school?" She spoke, shivering in excitement. She seemed to be very happy about this new development, certainly more than Harry had been. But he was a workaholic, and therefore had something else to latch onto before he learned about magic.

Kate probably didn't, and therefore was much more excited to learn that she was special and gifted in magic.

"Yes." Harry answered, amused by her enthusiasm. "Someone should come and introduce you to the magical world."

She seemed about ready to explode with smiles, and Harry felt his own mouth twitch up at her bubbly enthusiasm.

"When?! Where!? How!?" She asked, each question in rapid succession.

"Be patient." Harry spoke, privately doubting her ability to do so. "They will come eventually."

He wondered who would be the one to pick her up. Would it be McGonagall? Or would perhaps Flitwick, or god forbid Snape pick her up. Shaking his head, Harry recalled the time when he was introduced to Diagon Alley almost two years ago.

Recalling McGonagall's arrival as being right before lunch, Harry wondered if they would come at the same time. Spending several minutes calming her down Harry sent Kate back to her room, telling her to be patient and that someone should arrive sometime during the day.

Going back to his book, Harry kept a steady eye on the window to see if he could spot any of the Hogwarts teachers. And true to his prediction, at around eleven he noticing a woman walk up to the orphanage.

Despite it being a year, Harry recognized her as the intimidating form of McGonagall. He wondered if she introduced all the magic children who lived in the muggle world. Watching her walk up to the front door, Harry debated whether he should go see her.

Curiosity winning out in the end, Harry left his room and walked downstairs. Seeing McGonagall step through the front door, shaking hands with Ms. Chelsa left Harry wondering what to say. Upon noticing Harry, McGonagall stopped for a split second before resuming her walk.

"Mr. Potter." She said in recognition, looking him over. "It's been a while."

Consciously aware of how the matron was under the impression that he still attended the same school, Harry hoped McGonagall would play along.

"Yes, it's been a while since the end of school." He said, giving her a stare. "I hope I did well on finals?"

She stared at him for brief time, as if wondering where he was going before realization dawned in her eyes.

"Yes, you preformed exemplary." She gave a brief smile. "I expected no less."

Harry gave an internal sigh at his story holding up.

"But I am not here today for you." She spoke. "Another student is on the list here."

Knowing who she was referring to, Harry gave a curt nod and turned to leave.

"I hope you enjoyed your time at school?" McGonagall's voice stalled him. Turning to glance back at her, Harry was left wondering if she was referring to Durmstrang or Hogwarts.

"I have enjoyed all the time I spent at school." He responded. "But, I have enjoyed school more recently."

Taking on a sad demeanor for the slightest of moments, McGonagall nodded before regaining her normal expression.

"I hope you find what you are looking for Mr. Potter." She said, before turning back to Ms. Chelsa and conversing with her. Taking that as his cue to leave, Harry made his way back to his room. As he left, he saw Kate dash down the stairs with a massive grin plastered to her face.

Shaking his head in bemusement, Harry entered his room. A bit lost on what to do next, Harry debated his options. The reading list would probably not arrive for another three weeks probably, and he had exhausted his current stock of books.

He could go back to Diagon Alley, but Harry was starting to get irked about the whole occlumency issue. Wondering how big of a deal it really was plagued Harry was continuously. The only person he had encountered that had used it was Dumbledore. And Snape obviously knew something, leaving Harry wondering just how many witches and wizards could read minds.

Deciding to take a walk to clear his head, Harry left the orphanage right after lunch. He didn't have to worry about sneaking out now, because thirteen-year old kids were allowed to go by themselves. He wasn't quite thirteen yet, but he was close enough.

He remembered that his birthday was in just under two weeks away. Wondering what to do, Harry wondered if he should celebrate at all. It was never that big of a deal to him, but perhaps he should celebrate this year?

Pushing the thought out of his head for the moment, Harry decided to pay a visit to shopping district. He had never been there much besides entering the Leaky Cauldron or staring into the stores when he was younger.

Passing through Harry wondered if he should buy anything now that he had the money. Deciding to withhold on the spending for now (His money wasn't infinite after all) Harry continued to simply browse the stores.

He was interrupted from his gazing when he saw a short, bald man with a sharp object sticking out of his sleeve. Initially believing it was a knife and that he was about to see a mugging, Harry was therefore surprised when with a flick a woman's purse spilled open.

But that apparently wasn't the man's goal, as when everyone else was distracted the man made off with at least three other purses that he snatched with his wand. Soon there was contained panic, as now multiple purses were missing and money was blowing everywhere.

Turning to where the man went, Harry followed. Finding the man in a back alley greedily flicking his wand over the purses, he was therefore surprised when Harry sent a blast of water in his direction.

'Aguamenti does have its uses.' Harry thought wryly. Seeing the man stumble to his feet, now thoroughly drenched left Harry with a small smile.

"What was that for?!" He hollered, making a desperate grab for the purses. He stopped however, when he saw Harry's wand lifted towards him.

"Now wait just a moment." He spoke, lifting his arms. "I am a reasonable man, I could split the cash with you."

"I would ask why you were stealing, but that kinda is a stupid question." Debating whether to just leave, or if stunning the man would be better. There was no way he would return the purses, as that would cause too many problems.

"Go." Harry spoke. He would let the man have his cash grab this time, but if he came back Harry would lay something nasty on him. "And don't let me see you again."

Blabbering nonsensically, the man grabbed the purses and dashed off further into the alley. Shaking his head in disgust, Harry wondered at the time. Using the Tempus spell, Harry gaped. It was nearly three in the afternoon. He had wasted so much time walking around, and then dealing with this man that he lost track of the time.

Shaking his head in disgust at the wizard's behavior, Harry made haste back to his orphanage. Arriving as the sun was halfway down in the sky, Harry returned to his room.

The next few days passed with Harry idling in boredom. Victor had not responded, and Harry was tempted to send Hedwig to find Elena if he couldn't find anything to do.

* * *

One day when he finally got what he was expecting. The owl he had come to recognize as professor Snape's arrived. Ripping the letter open, Harry hoped for good news.

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _This portkey will activate upon reading it._

 _Snape_

Harry was sucked away, leaving his room empty.

Arriving in a heap outside a door, the first thing Harry noticed was that it was raining. The entire atmosphere of the street he was at reeked of depression. Turning around, Harry wondered if this was where his old potions professor lived.

The door opened, and Harry was suddenly staring up at his old teacher. They stared at each other for a while.

"In." Snape ordered. Harry hastily moved off the doorstep and into the hall. The place was grey, with only one or two pictures spanning the hall. It felt sad.

Feeling Snape brush past him, Harry wondered what his old teacher was going to do. Following him into a study teaming with books, Harry noticed Snape sit down in a chair.

"I don't know how you possibly came by this subject." Snape began, with a no-nonsense expression ever present on his face. "Occlumency is one of the rarest and most difficult pieces of magic to master. Few ever do."

Pausing for a moment, Snape flicked his wand. Expecting a spell, Harry quickly took out his own wand only to be left surprised when nothing happened.

"A silencing ward." Snape said, looking at Harry like he was an idiot. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Harry put down his wand.

"As I was saying." Snape said, staring Harry down. "Occlumency is not something an average person can hope to accomplish. What chance do you have?"

Feeling a bit miffed, Harry felt his ambition smother his caution.

"If anyone can do it, I can." Harry spoke. As soon as the words left his mouth Harry felt his bravado die, for Snape was suddenly glaring at him as he had never done before.

"Careful Mr. Potter." He almost hissed. "That arrogance will not serve you well. It didn't serve your father well either."

'That was low.' Harry thought. He almost wanted to retaliate with an equally corrosive comment but refrained. Seeing his silence, Snape stared at him for another moment.

"I have changed my mind." Snape spoke suddenly. "If you can repel one of my legilimency attacks, then I will train you."

Eager to prove his worth, Harry agreed. Snape swung his wand and a chair behind Harry came forward.

Standing up, Snape took a turned stance and pointed his wand at him. He seemed to stall upon looking at Harry but resolved himself and spoke.

" _Legilimens_." He intoned. Harry almost thought nothing happened for a moment. But then his vision swam, and he was a memory of one of his muggle classes. It changed suddenly, and Harry found himself boarding the Hogwarts express. Shifting again, he saw himself alone reading a book in the Hogwarts library.

But he wasn't alone. "I might vomit."

And then he was on the ground. Dry heaving his lungs out. Snape stood there, watching him. Only after a good minute of hacking his lungs out did Harry pick himself off the ground. Taking a minute to compose himself, he steadied his shaking legs and looked at Snape.

"So, that is what a mental attack feels like?" He stammered, caught off guard by the sheer brutality of the attack.

"No." Snape spoke. "That is what a basic and untrained Legilimency attack feels like. Only the most basic and inexperienced legilimens would produce such a reaction."

Clenching his teeth somewhat, Snape began to look agitated. Pacing towards him, Harry had to restrain himself from moving back in defense. Leaning in towards him, Snape looked vicious.

"You think you are the top of the world?" He spoke. "You think you are the king? You father was just the same. And look where that got him."

Stepping back several feet, Snape flicked his wand and the door flew open.

"Get out." He said. "Stick out your wand and take the Knight Bus back to wherever you reside. And don't come back."

Scurrying out of the door at the look Snape sent him, Harry almost ran for the front door. Dashing ou, Harry made quite pace down the sidewalk until he was at least three blocks away.

Sighing in relief at being gone from there, Harry calmed in racing heart. Snape had been downright malevolent. Harry had never seen such aggression during his time at Hogwarts. Although, he had only been there for a year and had never really talked to Snape other thank about school work.

Recalling what he was told about the knight bus. He had heard about it in passing from Hogwarts but didn't recall what was said about it. Deciding to take his chances, Harry stuck his wand out into the street, wondering what would happen.

He was not prepared. A shape came blasting out of nowhere, materializing as a triple decker bus. A man standing on the rear entrance to the bus got off.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard." The man began. "My name is Stan Shunpike and I will be our conductor for this evening."

The man looked up from the card he was reading and stared at Harry.

"Well, get on." And with that the man got back up on the bus. Rushing on, Harry noticing several beds lying around, with one occupied with a snoring wizard. Moving past them to the front, Harry took hold of one of the side handles, wondering how the thing moved.

"Where to eh, boy?" Stan spoke. "To Saint Peter's orphanage." He responded.

"Where?" At Stan's confused expression, Harry realized that most witches and wizards probably had no clue where his orphanage was.

"Just take me to the Leaky Cauldron." Harry sighed.

Stan's confused expression turned into a beaming smile, and with that the bus took off. Harry had no words to describe the sensation of moving at what felt like hundreds of miles per hour. He was nauseated, excited, and somewhat scared all at the same time.

Moving around cars and brushing past pedestrians, Harry had a simple question. HOW WAS NOBODY SEEING THIS?!

"What about the muggles, can they not see this?" Harry shouted to Stan, who turned his crooked yellow teeth toward Harry.

"Muggles, well they don't see what we don't want them to see." And with that, Stan turned forwards again.

As he tried not to lose his balance, Harry noticed Stan holding a copy of the daily prophet. There was a picture of burning buildings and piles of something in front.

"What's that?" He questioned Stan. Looking at the page, Stan turned to Harry incredulous.

"Haven't you heard at all?" He started. "There's been a big vampire outbreaking India, got the whole ministry in a tizzy."

'Vampire outbreak?' Harry thought. He hadn't really hard much about them. Yes, the appeared in texts every so often but they weren't that big of a deal, at least to Harry's understanding.

"Is it bad?" He asked. Stan shrugged.

"Apparently there had been over eight thousand vampires converted in the last two months." He replied.

'Eight thousand! That's a lot for two months' Harry thought. Sitting quietly for a while, Harry wondered if this would have nay impact on him.

After what felt like eternity but was in reality only five minutes the bus slammed to a stop in a side alley next to the Leaky Cauldron. Prepared to walk off, Harry was stopped by Stan's arm blocking his path.

"That will be twelve sickles." Harry payed, before getting off the bus. Turning around, Harry was startled when the bus was gone. Deciding this was one of those things he should probably not question, Harry made his way back to his orphanage.

* * *

The rest of the day passed without anything eventful happening. Harry had a lingering migraine that bordered between annoying and painful. Now knowing what a mental attack felt like, Harry really didn't want to go through that again.

Debating on what to do about occlumency during the next several days, Harry was blindsided by the arrival of his school letter. Having expected another letter from Victor, as the two have been sending letters throughout the summer left Harry surprised to see the regular Durmstrang Owl.

After taking the letter and offering the owl a treat, Harry read it over.

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _You have been accepted for your 2nd year at Durmstrang Institute. Enclosed below are all the necessary supplies and reading material for your select courses. Please obtain all requirements before arriving. Your chosen courses promote the…._

Placing down the letter, Harry knew he was in for a long shopping day. Debating whether to try and search Diagon Alley at all this time, Harry decided to try anyway. He would then search Borgin's and Burke's to see if they had anything.

After that if there were still requirements, he hadn't met Harry would improvise. Deciding to leave the following day as it would most certainly take the entirely day to find everything and today was already halfway over, Harry put his reading list in his trunk.

Back from dinner Harry laid down on his bed, hoping to get as much sleep as he could for his shopping spree the next day. He would need it.

Waking up early, Harry got up and made his way down to breakfast. Being one of the first there (no surprise there) Harry decided to visit Ms. Chelsa to explain his extended absence for the day. It wasn't his first time leaving, but it would probably be for most of the meals and he wanted to give a fake explanation.

Knocking on her door, Harry walked in.

"Hey." Harry started, walking up to stand in front of her desk. "I was just coming in to say that some family from my school was in the area. I am going to see them and will probably not be back until around dinner."

"eh?" Ms. Chelsa said, apparently still in the morning daze. "Who is your friend?"

"Victor Krum." Harry said, thinking up excuses on the fly. "His family is from Bulgaria, but he is visiting because his parents have business and brought him, so I thought I might say hello."

"Well, if you are sure its safe." She sighed, waving him out. Watching him leave, she cracked a small smile once he was gone. 'So he finally made friends, took long enough.' she thought.

Leaving the orphanage happy that his lie worked out, Harry proceeded towards Diagon Alley. And left disappointed when none of their available materials covered any of his requirements. Borgin's didn't prove much better, as they only had about a quarter of his required text.

Mr. Borgin also basically stole a thousand galleons from Harry, which really made Harry irate. Walking around the edge between Knockturn and Diagon Alley, Harry was in a bit of a funk. It was at this time that the idea came to him to widen his search horizons to beyond Britain.

'But that would mean going to the ministry.' Harry thought dryly. He really didn't want to get the government involved. Because he was attending Durmstrang, he didn't need to apply for an international travelling pass. However, he would if he went anywhere other than Durmstrang.

This led to Harry basically being trapped between a rock and a hard place. He would either have to go without his supplies, sneak out of the country illegally or get registered with the ministry.

Eliminating the first choice immediately, Harry knew he wouldn't be going to Durmstrang empty handed. He didn't really want to get registered, but the pain and hassle of getting caught illegally convinced him to do it.

Stopping for a moment trying to figure out the best way to get there, Harry wondered if the knight bus could take him. Walking to an empty backstreet, Harry held up his wand. And the knight bus appeared.

Stan gave his traditional greeting, without noticing that this was the same kid he talked to less than a month ago. Getting on and telling Stan his destination, Harry prepared for a bumpy ride. After ten minutes swerving around traffic, the bus stopped next to a telephone box.

Curious as to why they stopped here, Harry looked at Stan.

"You need to put in two pounds and then spin it to 7-1-3." Stan answered his confused look. Thanking him and paying for his ride, Harry got off. No longer surprised by the disappearance of the bus, Harry got into the booth.

Thankful that he had converted some of his galleons into pounds when he payed Gringotts a visit, Harry put in the specified money and turned the dial. But before he could reach the 3, the door opened, and a redheaded man got in.

"Sorry gent, but I have a meeting to get too." The man finished the dial for him, and suddenly the booth started to move downwards.

"Arthur Weasley, may I ask who you are?" The now identified Arthur answered. Harry recognized him. Not only did he recall seeing him pick up Ron more than a year ago, but he also shared the last name of the redhead kid.

"Harry Potter." He answered. Arthur looked a bit startled and looked him over as the lift continued downwards.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" He asked, a bit confused.

"I need to go international to get some of my Durmstrang supplies and was wondering where I could get permission." Harry didn't actually know if he needed permission, but it was better to check just in case.

Arthur stared at him for a moment but shook himself out of it when the lift hit the ground. Harry opened the door but froze when he noticed where he was. They were in what appeared to be a large atrium, and there were hundreds of witches and wizards milling around.

Slowly stepping out of the booth, Harry didn't notice Arthur get out behind him. They walked forward with the flow and arrived at a massive circular room. Glass offices rose over thirty stories, and Harry saw several interlinked rooms identical to this one continuing down around the corner.

About to continue forward, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Turning to see Arthur staring at him, Harry wondered what he would do.

"Level five, speak to Ms. Besca." Arthur looked like he wanted to say more but turned and disappeared into the crowds. Keeping what he said in mind, Harry continued around the place. It was massive! He was looking for a staircase or maybe elevators but had no idea where to go.

Asking a guy with a space out expression where to go, he was directed towards a set of elevators. Squeezing in with the rest of the people, Harry told the person manning the lift "Level five".

After everyone told the guy their destination, he pulled a lever and the elevator took off.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's.**

 **I apologize for the terrible German in this chapter, I had to take drastic measures to get it :)**

 **I will admit I was disappointed with this chapter. I wanted to add so much more, but decided against it.**

 **I plan to make the whole vampire thing a significant part of the story later. It will be a major turning point for Harry I think.**

 **I am in the process of currently writing the school year. It will be significantly longer than the previous school year.**

* * *

After a fifteen-minute period, in which Harry was flung into different people as the lift moved this way and that, it finally stopped at level five.

Getting off the lift, Harry preferred the feeling of a solid foundation underneath him now. Heading forward, Harry entered a room with a desk in the middle. Walking forward, Harry noticed an older woman manning the desk.

"Can I help you?" She asked him.

"I was told to see Ms. Besca." Her eyes flicked up towards him, before looking back down on her papers.

"please go to room 43, it's down the hall a way and on the left. Clearly labelled on the door."

Thanking her, Harry moved down the hallway. The carpet here was a eye melting pink, and Harry desperately tried to focus on anything else as he walked down the hall. Finally passing 42 and coming upon room 43, Harry hoped that the inside wasn't as pink as the hall.

"Come in." A voice said, following Harry's knock.

Opening the door, Harry first noticed that the woman sitting behind the brown desk was old. Very old actually. Harry tried not to stare as he sat down and formulated the best way to start the conversation.

"What can I do for you." She spoke briskly, apparently wasting no time with pleasantries.

"I was told to see you by Arthur Weasley." Harry answered. The lady raised one eyebrow and proceeded to clear her desk with a flick of her wand.

"And what is it that you need, exactly?" she continued.

"As I currently attend Durmstrang, I cannot find all of my reading material in Diagon Alley and therefore need to go international to find what I need."

Ms. Besca stared at him, before letting out a small sigh and summoning a large tome. Flipping through it, she read it over.

"For a native student who is attending international, the cost for a one week pass for any of the European ministries is fifty galleons. If you wish to travel to America, it is seventy-five galleons. Any other continent is restricted for any unaccompanied minor under the age of sixteen. India is currently off limits to any person without the approval of the minister"

"Does this have something to do with the vampire outbreak?" He questioned her. She jerked her head in confirmation.

Wondering just how bad the outbreak really was, Harry decided to put it to the side while he sorted out his current dilemma.

Thinking it over in his head, Harry was about to take the European one week pass but refrained at the last moment. He wondered if there was any way to gain an untimed international pass.

"Is there any way to gain an untimed international pass?" Harry questioned. Ms. Besca did not seem too thrilled by the question, but nevertheless answered.

"You would need to get the pass signed by either the minister for magic or the undersecretary for the minister." She replied. Sighing, Harry decided to take the one-week pass.

"I'll pay the fifty galleons for the one-week European pass then." Harry replied, think of possibly applying for the untimed pass at a later time.

Nodding her head, Ms. Besca stamped a certificate. "Sigh here."

Filling his name on the piece of paper and paying the required forms, Harry proceeded to take to copy given to him and depart. Leaving the room, Harry made his way back to the lift. After another grueling elevator journey, Harry finally arrived back at the atrium.

Deciding to try and use the floor, Harry walked up to the dust pot. Before he could take hold, a man came over.

"That would be seven sickles." Grumbling, Harry was glad that he always made sure to carry money on him.

Stepping through the floo gateway and shouting "Leaky Cauldron!" Harry was gone. As he was shot out of the floo gateway in the Leaky Cauldron, He almost lost his balance.

Getting up, Harry decided to leave the country the very next day. Making his way back to his orphanage, Harry spent the rest of the day debating where to go for his shopping.

He had heard of one really good place in Germany, called dunkes Holz. Meaning dark wood, Harry wondered if he would find what he needed there.

It was no concern if he couldn't, after all he had almost a whole week to search out the different shopping areas of Europe. One nifty little benefit of the translation spell is that the more you use it, the better you comprehend a language.

It wasn't translating the language but was instead passing on its meaning to the receiver. Harry wouldn't hear English from a German speaker, but he would understand the meaning of the German words.

Lying down on his bed, Harry wondered if he would see any new interesting places.

* * *

It took two days. TWO WHOLE DAYS! Harry realized too late that he wouldn't just be able to disappear for a week from his orphanage. So, he wrote a note to the ministry requesting help.

He didn't expect the whole process of coming up with an excuse to take a whole two days. Now he only had four days left on his international certificate.

Once given the okay by the department of muggle worthy excuse (dumbest department ever) Harry made his way back to the ministry. There he would find the only legal floo network out of the country. There were many others of course, but they were mostly illegal or restricted to certain personnel.

Arriving without difficulty, Harry made his way to the designated floo system. Arriving in front of an elderly man, Harry was up after a short line.

"Name and destination." He responded.

"Dunkles Holz, Germany." Harry answered. "And my name is Harry Potter."

Making a note, the man asked, "Duration of stay."

"the day." Harry answered. Making a note, the man waved him forward. Coming in front of the floo network, Harry took a deep breath while taking a hand of the powder. This would be his first time outside of Great Britain, minus Durmstrang.

"Dunkles Holz." He said, tossing the flames into the opening.

Getting blown out into a dimly lit room, Harry toppled to the floor.

"Hallo, bist du fremd?" A male voice asked.

Glancing over as he got up to his feet, Harry noticed that he had landed in quite a large room. It appeared to be something like a bar. The difference to the leaky cauldron was that it felt more professional here, and less homely.

"English?" Harry asked, hoping that the man spoke it.

"Ya." He replied, with a major accent evident in his voice.

"Do you know where I can find books and tomes?" Harry asked hopefully. He didn't know much about the local area but if he could be pointed in the right direction, then Harry (and the translation spell) could do the rest.

"You'll want to head to Grimlock's Buchsammlung." He answered. "It's where the widest selection of books is available. But you will need the coin." Thanking the man, Harry was directed down the street a way. Leaving the bar, the first thing Harry noticed was that it was empty. He had forgotten that with the time change it would be two in the afternoon, as he had departed around one. Heading in the indicated direction, Harry noticed something rather peculiar, most of the shops tended to a darker audience. He saw no children, and most of the young adults looked rather suspicious.

Passing by one particular store that sold animal parts for potions Harry almost wanted to go and would have if he didn't have such a pressing need to get those books. Arriving at the store, labeled Grimlock's Buchsammlung Harry entered.

Opening the door, it was nearly empty on the inside.

"Ehem." He heard. Turning to face the source of the noise, he saw a middle age man with his arms crossed staring at him.

"Ich diene nicht Kindern." Not having enough time to cast his translation spell, Harry was left in the dark as to the meaning of what was said. "I can pay." He responded, hoping again that the man knew English.

"Eh? Well then." He spoke much better English than the man at the pub. "I'm Grimlock, what are you browsing for today." "I have a list." Harry responded, handing over the requirements that he hadn't found yet. The now identified Grimlock scanned the list, before smiling at him.

"You're in luck, we have almost everything." He said. "Everything except Miranda's guide to advanced transfiguration and Clem's intermediate potions guide."

'That was easy.' Harry mused 'I wonder how much this will all cost.'

"That will be two thousand galleons." 'THE HELL?!' Harry screamed internally, almost gaping at the outlandish price. Grimlock saw his expression flash on his face for a brief moment, and grinned.

"This is the only place that sells these books in Germany, at least from a legal standpoint." Harry gaped, he only had taken two thousand galleons out of his vault. He had expected to return a significant portion of it back, but it seemed that was not to be.

For a brief moment, Harry wondered if he could get away with stealing the books. But he tossed that idea aside. It would have too many potential drawbacks.

Even if he managed to disarm and stun the guy, and then make off with the books an investigation would likely commence. It wouldn't take long for them to trace the crime back to Harry.

Stuck, Harry sighed and prepared to toss over the money from his expandable bag.

"I hope you like robbing children." He grumbled, handing over the two thousand galleons. The Grimlock let out a laugh.

"It's just good business kid." He said. "If you are the only supplier, then you can raise the prices to whatever you want."

Grimlock then proceeded to give the books and added an expanded bag as well.

"Consider it a bonus." He had said.

'It probably cost like twenty gallons.' Harry scoffed. Placing the books in the bag, Harry left the store as quickly as possible. Every moment spent there reminded Harry of the empty hole in his finance.

Leaving the store, Harry decided to see if he could find anything in one of the back alleys. There was probably an equivalent of Knockturn Alley around here somewhere.

Heading down a side street, Harry glanced around him. All around were plenty of buildings, but none of them had any signs.

Opening a door, a random, Harry proceeded to slam it shut. The only thing he ha seen was a creature he had only ever read of, a Kappa. They were Japanese water demons. He had only ever found tidbits of information about them, but it was nothing good.

The next few doors he tried were also had unexpected results. Either the doors would be locked, or Harry would walk into the sight of something horrifying or gross. He thought he saw a pair of human eyes floating upside down in a jar in one store.

Getting impatient but not yet willing to get up until he had everything he needed, Harry was about to try another door when he heard loud footsteps coming down from around a corner. Deciding he didn't want to risk an encounter with anyone in the shady street, Harry hid in a small corner.

'Those are big footsteps.' Harry thought, imagining how big a person could be to create such steps. Wondering if the being approaching him was even human, this snapped something in Harry.

Deciding to try the invisibility charm as he really didn't want to be seen, Harry muttered the incantation. Not too soon, as the man rounded the corner. Correction, the beast rounded the corner.

There was no way that this 'thing' was a inhuman creature. He was tall, and brutish. On his face appeared to be small whiskers, if Harry assumed correctly. His hair was grey, and he walked slightly hunched over. His face was malevolent, and when he smiled his teeth were a rotten yellow.

'Werewolf.' Harry thought, horrified. If this creature was indeed a werewolf, then his invisibility spell would be useless in the face of the smelling capabilities of the werewolf.

Staying completely still hoping beyond hope that his spell was working, Harry watched with bated breath as the beast walked in his direction. Passing by him, the creature stopped. He took a long sniff.

His eyes glanced in Harry's direction, and his teeth widened in a smile. A wretched, disturbing smile. Preparing the worst spell he knew, Harry prepared to go out with all he had.

But before either one of them could start anything, A door further down the street opened.

"Komm hier rein, Biest." A voice hollered. Harry glanced down the street, where a man had opened a door and was sticking his head out.

The creature snarled, and after paying one last look in Harry's direction moved down the street. Entering the door, the creature's eyes darted towards Harry again before the door closed.

Deciding to get the out of there as soon as possible, Harry stumbled back through the door he was leaning on. Landing on the floor, Harry's trigger-happy mindset led to him snapping a curse off in a random direction.

'Having a ricocheting blasting spell travelling all around you is a scary thing.' Harry thought, as he sheltered on the ground. Suddenly the sound of the rebounding spell ceased. Glancing up, Harry noticing a woman watching him.

Remembering to use the translation spell this time, Harry quickly waved his wand while muttering the incantation as the woman spoke.

"Nun, jetzt, wo alles ruhig ist, was kann ich für Sie tun?" Harry heard the German, but he also heard "Well, now that everything is quiet, what can I do for you?"

Glancing around, Harry noticed the disemboweled bodies of several creatures around. He recognized some of them, such as the pixie, doxie, grindelow, and several more. Noticing a strange creature that he had never seen before, Harry turned to the lady.

"I am curious as to what that creature is?" Harry asked, pointing to the pale, sallow creature who was positioned laying down in a glass container.

"An Englishman?" She spoke, an accent present in her words. "Hmpf, that is the corpse of a vampire."

Ah, so that was the legendary undead creature that was prevalent in even the muggle culture. It wasn't what Harry expected. He had expected big strong monsters of great power and unmatched viciousness.

The being in the case looked like it could be smashed to pieces with a metal bat. It didn't embody the aspects Harry had believed it did. It looked…. sad. Harry could understand why some were so vehement about not becoming a vampire. It looked like a horrible fate.

Recalling how there was a major outbreak apparently in India, Harry pondered the matter. Turning back to the storekeeper, Harry questioned her about his still missing books.

"Do you happen to have either of these books?" Harry asked handing over his list. He had crossed out all the books except the two he needed. She looked over the list, before nodding her head and heading out back.

"So, you attend Durmstrang then?" She questioned. Nodding his head, Harry took the offered potions books.

"I will give it to you for fifty galleons." Not willing to argue, Harry paid the money and departed with a glance around the room. Before stepping out he glanced back at the vampire corpse, the sight intriguing to him for some reason.

This was the creature causing all sorts of panic? Apparently from what Harry knew, the situation was most certainly not going well. While the statute of secrecy was still intact, there were rumors floating around that the vampires were expanding out into the rest of Asia.

Deciding to investigate the matter more later, Harry departed with a back glance around the store.

Stepping out Harry practically ran down the alley, with the memory of the werewolf staring at him motivating his pace. Arriving back at the main shopping street, it was a sparsely populated as when Harry had left it.

Making fast pace back to the pub, Harry was actually happy about going back to his orphanage. Tossing the floo powder in, Harry called out "British Ministry of Magic".

Arriving out the same gate he had entered several hours earlier, He ignored the polite "good day" spent his way by the attendant and made his way outside the ministry. Catching the knight bus to the leaky cauldron, Harry then travelled back to his orphanage.

Having to pretend that he had enjoyed his (fake) time visiting the mountains, Harry had a hard time making up a story that never happened. Once Ms. Chelsa's curiosity was satisfied, Harry went back to his room.

Quickly placing his newly acquired books into his trunk, Harry was suddenly glad he was back here and out of the gaze of that werewolf. Its face was terrifying, Harry could still remember those sharp teeth. It wasn't even close the full moon!

Trying to push his encounter with that creature out of his mind, Harry decided to write to Victor the following day about the one charm book he couldn't find. Maybe he could try writing Elena too?

* * *

All in all, it was a good shopping trip, encounters with other creatures notwithstanding. He had been somewhat robbed by that one store owner, but it was only a relatively small loss. However small though, it was a noticeable decrease in his bank account.

Therefore, the following day Harry went to Gringotts to see just how much money he had in total. He should have done it sooner, but before he had believed it would be a nonissue. Now that he was approaching thirteen, he had to begin planning ahead for the future.

Walking through the doors of Gringotts, Harry had made his way to the front of one of the tables. Patiently waiting for the goblin to finish and raise his head up, Harry decided to ask.

"I was wondering if it would be possible to perform an audit of my vault." He asked. The goblin gave a small sneer, before reaching out his hand.

"Key please." Handing the aforementioned item over, Harry watched as the goblin looked it over. Motioning to a fellow goblin and with a muttered "One moment" Harry prepared to wait as one goblin walked out of sight.

It was a good fifteen minutes later when the goblin returned. Passing a folder to the goblin manning the desk Harry was at, He looked it over.

"Your account is currently balanced at thirty-three thousand galleons, Fourteen thousand sickles, and eighteen thousand knuts." The goblin told him.

It was a lot. Not enough the make him super rich or anything, but still enough to easily get him through school and then some. Thanking the goblin and after a short journey down to retrieve some more money he was gone.

After writing to Victor and asking him about the book Harry needed, he paused before also writing a note to Elena.

 _Dear Elena,_

 _I am writing to you know due to a situation I have found myself in. One of the last book requirements I need has proved difficult to find. I was wondering if you could…_

Signing with his name Harry waited for Hedwig to return with from Victor, so he could send the letter.

Once Hedwig had returned, Harry exchanged the letter she was carrying for his one to Elena. After a short break Hedwig departed again. Watching her leave, Harry turned his attention to Victor's response. After applying his translation spell, Harry began to read.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _As to your question involving Miranda's Guide to Advanced Transfiguration, I must disappoint you. As I have just moved up to year four charms, I have a different reading requirement than you. I apologize for this and wish you the best of luck. For helping me get where I am now, I will send you tickets to my first real quidditch game. It's Bulgaria vs Hungary and it will be….._

Continuing to read the letter, Harry was conflicted. He didn't really want to go see the game, but it would be extremely rude to turn down Victor's tickets. Finishing the letter, Victor said he would be sending two tickets.

Confused as to why he would send two, Harry looked back at the letter. Hidden within the text, Victor may or may not have implied that Harry would want to take Elena to the game.

Now he was stuck in a difficult situation. If he decided to go (which he probably would) then he would need to invite Elena, or he would be screwed if she found out.

While Hedwig was still travelling, Harry decided to write the letter and send it later. It was currently the 8th of September, and the game was scheduled for the 11th. Harry would have to head to Durmstrang the very next day.

Victor had said he would not arrive until the 14th. Making the decision to attend the match, Harry sat down and began to write Elena.

 _Dear Elena,_

 _I know that I recently sent you a letter pertaining to one of my missing texts. Regardless of that situation, I would like to invite you to join me for a quidditch game. Now you probably know how much I don't care for quidditch, but the tickets have been gifted to me and it would be rude to disregard them._

 _Please don't feel pressured into accepting. It would be rude for my to presume that you would….._

Finishing the letter, Harry waited for Hedwig to return to send the message. It wouldn't be until the following day though, when Hedwig returned carry a heavy book that he would get the chance.

Sending the letter after lunch which gave Hedwig plenty of time to relax and sleep, Harry eagerly awaited the response. The following day, when a thoroughly exhausted Hedwig returned carry a letter Harry was curious as to whether Elena would agree.

 _Harry,_

 _I accept, I will await you in the main portkey area at eleven in the morning. Don't be late._

 _Elena_

It was short, and to the point. Harry smirked as he recognized her neat handwriting which made him feel like a barbarian.

It was a nervous Harry that portkeyed on the edge of a crowded field three days later. He had gotten the portkey from the ministry (after a small fee) and had made the excuse for why he was leaving to his orphanage matron.

He had told Ms. Chelsa that he was told to head back to his school early due to bad weather approaching. It might not have worked, if not for the storm that was expected to hit the northern coast within two days.

* * *

Leaving Britain by portkey at 8:30 to compensate for the two-hour time change, Harry took a moment to adjust to the loud noise and bright sun. Looking over the ridge he landed, He saw what appeared to be miles of tents and campsites.

And waiting for him was Elena Blackwell. As Harry approached, he noticed that she had grown taller and her hair was longer as well. Walking up to her, he began the conversation.

"Nice day out." He said, and then mentally kicked himself. That was probably one of the most cliché things he could have said. It apparently flew over Elena's head though. He remembered she had no interaction with muggles or their sayings.

He also wondered if she spoke English

"Yes, it is." She replied, not looking like she really wanted to be here.

"…. You speak English too?" He asked, upon understanding her voice outside of Durmstrang. He wondered where she learned.

"No, I speak only German, YES I speak English." She replied, rolling her eyes. Deciding to ignore her sarcasm and continue the conversation, Harry rolled began anew.

"I was surprised when I received your confirmation." Harry began, as the two began walking. "I didn't think you were a fan of quidditch."

She didn't respond, and Harry was suddenly acutely aware that she likely didn't come for the quidditch. Trying to keep his ears from turning red at the meaning of this, he decided to act oblivious.

"Are your parents okay with you being here?" He asked, curious as to why she was unaccompanied.

"You aren't the only orphan, you know." That killed the mood instantly. Harry had no idea to believe that Elena was an orphan. She didn't give any of the signs of being an orphan… 'wait a moment.'

Recalling her reaction to his hug or the general hostile atmosphere she maintained in general, Harry was feeling quite stupid for not making the connection sooner.

Walking up to an official looking individual, Harry held up his tickets.

"your site is at d-13. Please head straight through and take a left at the large black pole. It had the initials H.P. on the tent."

Nodding his head in thanks, Harry and Elena made their way past rows upon rows of tents. He glanced over at her ever so often, thinking of something to remedy his mistake.

"I'm sorry." He started but was quickly interrupted.

"Don't apologize." She snapped. "It's not your fault, they died fighting some aurors twelve years ago."

Harry was about to respond, but then realized something. Died fighting aurors…died twelve years ago…. there was something going on here.

'Death eaters.' Harry thought, the realization almost causing him to stumble. Elena's parents were death eaters. Apparently, he didn't cover up his expression quickly enough, because Elena saw and let out a snicker.

"So, you see." She started, smiling in a twisted sort of way. "This is the legacy I come from. My ancestors all serving some dark lord or another, from Grindelwald to Vvv-oo He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

She stammered upon saying Voldemort's name. Apparently, this fear wasn't just restricted to British citizens.

Staying silent for a moment, Harry thought of the best thing he could say.

"You aren't responsible for the actions of your parents." He comforted. "You haven't done anything."

"You are the only person who thinks that." She muttered. Harry wondered if she lived with anyone else. If both of her parents were dead, then would she go to her nearest relative?

Harry said nothing as they continued to weave through the tent's finding the black pole in the middle of all the tents. Taking a left, they continued on until they came across a small tent with the initials H.P. on top.

Confused as to the small size of the tent, Harry stalled outside while Elena moved in. The curtains moved as she walked in, as Harry gaped at what he saw. Moving in he saw a massive room, with two bed and several other rooms around the place.

'Magic, right.' Harry thought as he marveled at the space defying space of the room. Deciding on whether to go and try and find Victor, Harry turned that idea down as he saw Elena expand her bad and place it on one of the beds.

'Does this mean I'm going to sleep in the same room as a girl?!' Harry panicked internally. Remaining calm on the outside, Harry walked up to her.

"I hope everything is up to your standards." He said, half-sarcastically.

"If they weren't, I'd be gone." She replied, almost giving a smile at his tone. He sounded like a proud peacock.

"Then let's see what the food is. Walking over the makeshift kitchen, Harry opened a cabinet. It was fully stocked with foods Harry had never heard of before.

Turning to Elena, he raised an eyebrow in question. She gave a sigh and moved over to the cabinet. Taking out two containers and a box of something brown, she proceeded to place them on the table.

Watching as she began to wave her wand and mutter under her breath, the cans began to open and the stuff inside began to expand. Turning the goop into what appeared to be chicken after about a minute, Harry's mouth was hanging ajar.

"Meal's to go." She said, at his inquisitive look. "Do they not have these in Britain?"

"No, or at least I have never heard of them." He responded. Could he have overlooked something so easy to use? He didn't think so.

They day progressed smoothly, with the sun beginning to set. Deciding to head to the stadium before everyone else got the idea, Harry and Elena made their way to one entrance.

"Tickets please." Someone said. Showing the two tickets, they were directed up a set of staircases. Rising up around twenty stories, Harry was glad that he had overgrown his slight fear of heights or this would be really scary.

Taking their seats, the two began to compare classes or the upcoming year. Harry and Elena both shared fourth year potions, however all their other classes were different levels. Harry had the higher charms class, while Elena had higher levels in transfiguration and dark art classes.

"I will help you in charms if you help me in the dark arts class?" Harry questioned. To his delight, Elena gave a near immediate confirmation. Satisfied with everything said, Harry quickly remembered something.

"I forgot to give this to you earlier." He said, slipping Elena the book on occlumency. "It was very nice of you to give it."

"Did you manage to learn it." She asked. Harry's smile turned a bit strained as he recalled the brutality of Snape's attack.

"Not quite." He said. Elena looked disappointed. It was at this point that everyone began to quiet down, and a man began speaking in Bulgarian.

"He's welcoming everyone and wishing for a good game." Elena side-whispered as the game commenced.

What followed was several hours of quidditch, with the chasers attempting to score points with the beaters smashing them. Harry saw Victor zooming around the pitch. He was pulling his suicidal moves, and Harry thought his friend might die this game.

In the middle of the match, Harry turned his attention towards Elena again, with a question in mind.

"Have you heard about the vampire expansion in Asia?" He questioned. She turned towards him and nodded her head.

"Apparently the Russian ministry is somewhat concerned. Their borders are closer to the contagion zone than many of the other ministries and they want something done."

Nodding his head, Harry turned his attention back towards the match.

Pulling up only two feet from the ground, Victor held up the golden snitch in his hand, and the crowd went wild. The afterparty was wild. Harry tried to keep himself detached from the wild that had permeated everyone else.

Not everyone was happy thought. The Hungarian team and fans were quite put out. The fans even looked like they might start something. Luckily Harry and Elena's tent were on the far side of the Bulgarian field so if anything happened, they would have ample time to react.

Sitting down at the table inside their enlarged tent, the two ate silently for a while.

"Are you ready to start Durmstrang?" Harry asked. He was going to portkey to Durmstrang the next day directly from the stadium. There was no point in returning to his orphanage for half a day.

"Yes, are you?" She shot back. Harry almost wished she was less difficult. Almost.

"Of course." He smiled. Determined to put his best foot forward this year, Harry wanted to get the best out of his year.

"Have you heard about the escape of Sirius Black?" She leaned forward slightly. "Word has it he is the first to escape from Azkaban ever."

Yes, he had heard. Harry had been somewhat troubled when he heard about it when passing through the Leaky Cauldron less than two weeks ago. But it wasn't like he himself was involved with Black in any way, right?

"Did you know he was apparently one of Voldemort's most loyal followers?" She continued. "Apparently he fooled the ministry for years."

He didn't, but he felt that there was something familiar about the name. Almost as if recalling a distant dream, Harry wondered at the feeling.

'Sirius Black, who are you?' Musing internally. The feeling was gone a moment later. Shaking his head to clear the déjà vu feeling that had engulfed him, Harry moved the conversation onwards.

"May I ask a personal question?" He asked. Elena stared at him for several seconds.

"Ask, and I will choose whether or not to answer." She said. Think over what question he wanted to ask first, Harry picked one.

"If your parents are dead, then who raised you?" He wondered. He was actually quite curious. Was she raised by close relatives? Taken in by family friends? Or something else?

Elena stayed silent for a long time staring down at her lap, before raising her head to look at him.

"If you tell anyone, I will kill you." She spoke quietly. She maintained her composure, but there was something about her posture that suddenly had Harry on edge.

'Is it really that bad?' He thought. Taking a split second to determine if he really did want to know, he nodded his head. The energy seemed to sap from Elena, and she slouched down.

"I was raised….by a house elf." She muttered. Smiling at the straightforward answer, Harry almost didn't process what she said.

'WHAT!' He screamed internally, shocked by the response. Raised by a house elf?! That was absurd, how could anybody be raised by one of the house elves. Not only was it unfit to really help raised a human child, but it could lead to a lack of social skills.

If Elena wasn't taken out to meet other kids, and didn't have exposure to adults who she trusted, then she was have been completely unprepared when she entered the real world. It explained her hostile nature and her complete shock when being hugged.

Regardless of how good of a job the house elf who raised Elena did, it probably wouldn't have given her the type of care and warmth that she needed. That wasn't to say that the house elf neglected her but was simply unable to give her what she needed as a child.

"I'm sorry." He said, trying to not show his shock too much.

"Don't be." She snapped, but this retort had less venom and more of something else in her tone. Realizing that she was less emotionally composed than he had expected, Harry wondered if he should do something else.

'In for a galleon….' He thought. Standing up and walking towards her, he almost didn't notice the way she shrank away, and her hand twitched towards her wand. Reaching out, he put her in a light hug.

It felt…good, to hug someone. Having never really hugged anyone before, at least that he could remember Harry thought that this was not terrible.

Elena apparently had other ideas, as she elbowed him in the gut and the proceeded to punch him in the face.

Falling to the floor in a heap Harry couldn't help it, he giggled. It was amusing, the situation. He gave her a hug and she punched him.

"Your welcome." He muttered, through his now bloody nose. Elena rolled her eyes and proceeded to mend his nose with her wand.

"Don't do that again." She said. Her words said one thing, but the tone in her voice said another. That was the first time Harry thought she said something without any venom in her voice.

Sitting back on his bed, Harry felt his now mended nose. It was fine. Deciding that was enough excitement for the night, Harry made his bed ready. Before he could lay down though, he was disturbed by Elena's cough.

"I need the room for a moment." She said. Harry, not realizing what she meant, scoffed.

"For what." He retorted. At her raised eyebrow, and at the small spark that flicked from her wand he revised his words.

"Okay, Okay I'm leaving." Quickly leaving the room, Harry decided to poke his head out of the tent. It was now completely dark out, and the stars shone overhead. The party wasn't yet over, not by a long shot. He could hear the sound of cheering and laughing coming from all around.

After a good five minutes of stargazing, Harry decided that he had given Elena enough time. Walking back inside, Harry made hi way to his bed. Noticing Elena laying in her bed, Harry laid down in his own. Glancing at her again, Harry sighed and turned the other way.

"Good night Elena." He said quietly. Nodding off, he almost didn't hear her reply. "You too."

* * *

Waking up, Harry was overcome by the silence. Taking a moment to realize that he wasn't deaf, and that he could still hear perfectly brought Harry out of his funk.

'The partying must have ended.' Harry thought dryly. Getting up and making sure not to startle the still sleeping Elena, Harry made his way quietly to the kitchen. While not knowledgeable in the way of cooking, Harry did bring some food for himself.

Taking a bite of the small turkey sandwich that he had brought, Harry suddenly thought that the Durmstrang food wasn't so bad after all. Shoveling the stuff down, Harry took several glasses of water to wash it all down.

He then noticing the letter that was sitting on the table next to the tent entrance. Curious as to who could have left him the letter, Harry picked it up.

Noticing the handwriting of Victor, Harry spoke the translation spell and watched as the words rearranged for him.

 _Dear Harry_

 _Tried to find you after the game. It was a great match! I have never felt so happy about anything. And that feeling when I caught the snitch, it was like I could fly to the moon._

 _I noticed that the lights were out, so I assumed you were sleeping. I hope you (and Elena?) had a good night. I will see you on the 14th, I am currently negotiating with the owner of the team for my contract._

 _Victor Krum_

Placing the letter down, Harry took a moment to think. He had been right to assume Victor would believe he would invite Elena. He really didn't have many friends outside of the two. And now with Victor off playing quidditch for part of the year, it would likely be mostly Elena now.

His thoughts were distracted when he saw Elena stumble out of her bed. She was most definitely NOT a morning person. She looked about ready to tear into whoever got into her way. Staying quiet seemed like the best option.

After she had sat down and started eating some food, Harry risked the encounter.

"Good morning." He said. She glanced at him and muttered something before she continued eating. Deciding that was the best he was going to get for now, Harry went back to his bed and started packing.

He hadn't taken much out but put away what he had removed and went about cleaning everything up. He Left Elena's stuff untouched, he really didn't want to get punched again in the face. Returning to the kitchen, Elena looked marginally more awake.

Checking the time with simple tempus spell, Harry saw that it was currently about eight in the morning.

"I am heading to Durmstrang in about….five hours." Harry said. He originally thought that the portkey would leave at eleven, as it had last year. But recalling the two-hour time change, Harry figured it would probably go off at one in the afternoon instead.

Elena stared at him, before nodding her head in understanding.

"I am heading back home in about two hours." She started. "I need to grab some stuff from my room before I arrive at Durmstrang."

"So, what do you want to do before we leave?" Harry replied. Elena continued to eat silently, with Harry watching patiently. Swallowing the last bite, Elena turned her attention back to him.

"I need to pack, and then we need to walk back outside the wards." She spoke. "By then we won't have much time left anyway, so there's no point in planning for anything else."

A bit bummed at not doing anything else, Harry nevertheless nodded his head in acceptance. It was thirty minutes later when they were ready to leave their tent.

Walking outside, they made their way back in the direction they had come. Deciding to make idle chit-chat along the way, harry initiated a conversation.

"My reservations about quidditch aside, it was a decent game." Elena looked at him as if he was insane.

"Were you kidnapped and replaced with a Polyjuiced replica?" She questioned. The sarcasm was so heavy in her voice that Harry almost laughed.

Continuing past tents, Harry wondered where everyone else was. Were they all still sleeping? Were they partying through the whole night?

"If they partied this much for a regular quidditch game, I wonder what they will do if Bulgaria winds the world cup." He mused.

"Probably burn down the country." Elena answered. Harry was about the refute the statement but rethought his answer. It was not impossible.

Arriving at the area they had arrived, Harry turned to Elena.

"I really did enjoy yesterday." He answered. It had been good, they had discussed school and he had learned more about Elena in one day than in the entire last year.

"Maybe it was." She replied. Harry had no idea that they were both talking about different things. The two looked at each other for a moment, before Elena began to step away.

"I'll see you at Durmstrang." She spoke as she walked away. "If you tell anyone about this, I will hex you."

"I'd expect no less." Harry hollered as she gained distance. One a fair distance way, Elena appeared to twist a ring on her finger. With a 'pop' she was gone.

Now that Elena was gone, Harry wondered at what he would do for over three hours before he left. Deciding to head back to his tent and read a bit, Harry began to move back.

Passing by many newly awaked people, Harry smiled as he passed multiple people stumbling around into each other and into tents. He saw one extremely out of it guy careen straight into a pole. It was very amusing.

'This is why you should never drink too much.' He thought wryly, as he passed many more people stumbling or falling to the ground. Arriving back at his tent, Harry sat down and opened a book.

The hours passed quickly, with Harry reading about how one can combine aspects of transfiguration and charms to create unique pieces of magic.

Eating a few pumpkin pastries around noon, Harry made his way outside the wards to await the activation of his portkey.

And at one on the dot, it activated.

* * *

 **The end**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **Bit of a boring chapter here in my opinion, nothing too major happens.**

 **Tried to add a bit of comedy in here, still uncertain about how that went.**

* * *

Harry landed with a thud.

He still hadn't quite mastered the art of portkey landings yet. At least he didn't almost fall flat on his face again.

Sighing, Harry stood up and looked around. He had landed a short distance away from the entrance to the castle. At the sound of one of his fellow students arriving, Harry moved forward and away from the arrival zone.

Carry his trunk used to be such a pain, which is why light-weight charms were invented. Now carrying a trunk is almost as easy and carrying a small bag. It really was amazing.

Making his way over the bridge into the castle, Harry tried to recall where his room was. It took several minutes, but Harry eventually found his room. Walking in, Harry placed his trunk to one side and began to unpack.

Making sure the transfigure the bed immediately as he didn't want to forget later, Harry also worked on the cool draft of the room. With a flick of his wand, the air suddenly warmed slightly.

Smirking, Harry recalled the work he did to learn this spell. The way it worked was that for a certain time it heated up the air in a certain diameter, most useful for closed rooms and small spaces. Therefore, it was perfect for his little dungeon dorm.

As it was about five in the evening, Harry had some time before he needed to walk down to the dining hall for dinner. As he had learned the previous night the opening meal was the only one that was mandatory.

This was so that any new rules could be given to the entire student population, and also so that the new students could see the staff before their first classes.

Taking out his school books, Harry transfigured a small wooden table in one corner. Stacking the books in a pile, he hoped his magic would last.

Before he headed down to dinner, there was one more thing Harry needed to do. He needed to curse his door. He had not done so last year, but at Elena's insistence he agreed to barricade his door with several spells this year.

Apparently the older you got, the more likely you were to get attacked. Sincerely hoping he wouldn't come to blows with any students with year, Harry set to work.

Deciding to put the caterwauling charm up first, Harry cast the necessary spell. It wouldn't do anything to an intruder, but it would let out a loud screaming noise. This would probably wake up half the castle, not to mention startle anyone who entered his room.

Next, he placed the slug vomiting curse around the border of the door. It was the protective version of Slugulus Eructo, which would make someone vomit up slugs continuously. Not a particularly dangerous spell, but it would hinder the opponent all the same.

Harry debated what to put up next. Maybe this would be a change to test one of the spells he learned about this summer? One of those he didn't want to risk failing in the middle of muggle London.

Raising his wand, Harry intoned "Protego Totalum."

This was an area protection spell. As well as making it difficult to see, it would also help nullify most basic and intermediate spells. If someone came in casting unforgivable, then Harry was screwed anyway.

But unless someone fancied a trip to Azkaban by casting an unforgivable (one of the few rules in Durmstrang) then they wouldn't go that far.

'This will have to suffice.' He thought, finishing the spell. It wasn't the full protective barrier he hard about, barely any disruption in the air at all. He decided to try and work on improving this charm in particular.

Recalling how Emsorth challenged him to complete aqua eructo the previous year, Harry decided to put some time to that charm as well.

One interesting piece of information he had learned from Elena is that that classes here are not meant to be the focus of his attention. No, the classes are simply meant to guide a students thinking, to promote a certain line of work.

In other words, the classes are not important. It is the abilities and learning habits that one takes from their classes that matters.

Leaving his room, Harry made his way to dinner. Students were still arriving, and the dining hall was only starting to fill up. Checking the time and noticing that he still had half an hour until the start of announcements, Harry drifted off in his own thoughts.

Someone sitting down in front of him disrupted his train of thought. Initially believing them to be Victor, Harry glanced up and noticing Elena sitting there instead.

'I think this is the first time I have seen her in the dining hall.' He mused. She appeared uncomfortable being here, as if someone could curse her at any time.

Opening his mouth to the speak, Harry closed his mouth when Karkaroff marched to the front of the hall.

"Welcome, welcome to Durmstrang." He bellowed. "Now, for those of you returning here, we hope for another good year."

"For those new to our school, we hope that you prove yourselves capable of our standards."

Continuing on for several minutes, Harry tuned out most of the speech until the end.

"Now, some of you may have heard rumors about the vampire…problem." Karkaroff started. "Rest assured that they cannot hurt you here, and that you are completely safe from them."

Finishing and departing from the room, Harry was once again reminded of the vampires. What about them made them so problematic? Harry used to hear about how werewolves were the worst, but now the vampires were apparently taking the spotlight.

'Now that they are a threat, everyone's changed their opinions.' Harry mused. As everyone began to eat, Harry decided to begin a conversation with Elena.

"How did you do last year, in terms of grades?" He questioned. What followed was Elena describing how she did in her courses the previous year.

Apparently, Harry was advancing faster in charms, and was in a higher level than her. However, she was ahead in terms of the dark arts and transfiguration. They had the same potions class.

Eating a piece of meat that just appeared, Harry decided to lay down his goals for the year. Firstly, he wanted to continue to work and improve Protego Totalum. If not mastered, he wanted to at least have a firm grasp on the protective spell by the time he left.

Secondly, he wanted to continue to work on Agua Eructo. He had made slight progress at the end of the previous year and wanted to continue to improve. Improving his control on a small amount of water he summoned was a necessity before he could raise the flow of water.

Thirdly, he wanted to advance overall in all his classes. By this he meant continue to advance to higher levels each year. This was the least important, because Harry was confident that he if he actually tried, then he would advance regardless.

Lastly, Harry's goal for this year academically was to get his transfiguration grade up to a W. He also wanted to try and get a M in charms, but that would be a bit unlikely.

"I'll see you in the morning." He said to Elena. At her nod, he got up and departed from the room. As one of the first to leave, the halls were mostly empty as of yet. Arriving back in his room, he really wanted to see what would happen if Victor tried to enter.

Closing the door and making sure all of his spells were still in place, Harry laid down for bed.

Drifting off, he hoped that he would continue to learn more this year.

* * *

Waking up to the familiar sight of the stone ceiling, Harry sat up in his bed. The faint light glowing in one corner was a nice touch in Harry's opinion.

Enchanting an object with a variation of the Lumos spell proved most useful in walking around at night without crashing into something.

The day passed normally. Each class had their introductory units, and the students were all given their first assignments of the year. For Harry, this was only for one class as he had transfiguration. He also had spell manipulation, but that was just a study anyway.

Leaving the classroom with notebook tucked under one arm Harry proceeded to his room, deciding to use a useful study tactic that he had learned years ago way quite simply. Get homework done immediately.

Watching students refrain from doing their homework until the last night was something that always made Harry sigh in disappointment. It was also something that happened in both Durmstrang and Hogwarts. It was like the students couldn't help themselves.

"Hey Potter!" A voice shouted. Turning around Harry noticed a familiar face. Unable to match names with faces, it took Harry a moment to remember who it was.

It was Blake Rosedell. He was one of the students who had attacked Elena near the beginning of the previous year. Now that he thought of it, Blake would be about fifteen now.

"So, I couldn't help but hear how you are in fifth year charms now." Blake spoke. Harry saw where this was going. Now that he was progressing through the levels faster than everyone else, some jealousy was inevitable.

No one had cared the previous year, on account of him being a transfer and being in relatively low classes anyway. But now that he was in fifth year charms, students would notice. Deciding to work this in the best possible way for him, Harry put on a grim expression.

"It's about he only thing I'm good at." He muttered, adding a frown and scoff for good measure. "I am stuck low in all of my other classes, charms class seems to be an exception."

The point of lowering other's perception of him was to keep eyes off his back. If everyone believed he was bad at everything with the exception being charms, then they might leave him alone. If everyone knew that he was good at everything (and was really good at charms) it could cause problems.

At his self-deprecating remake, Blake appeared to smirk somewhat. It seems he was right about Blake scouting him out. Harry had seen him hanging out with his fellow fifth- and sixth-year friends. Now, he would have to start looking out for that group in particular.

Planning for whatever encounter would come his way eventually, Harry made his way back to his room. Finishing his transfiguration homework in just under two hours, Harry glanced up at the knock on his door.

Opening it, his mouth curved downward at the sight in front of him. It was Victor's girlfriend. Her name was Leila Elgen.

'I think it is anyway.' Harry thought. Once she saw him, Leila smiled in a less than friendly way.

"Have you seen Victor anywhere?" She questioned, her voice sweet as honey. "I've been looking for him."

Debating whether to tell her the truth or lie, Harry opted to tell the truth as that would get rid of her as quickly as possible.

"He's not getting in until tomorrow." He answered. "Quidditch and all that."

"Ow." She looked a bit put off. But then her smiled returned, and Harry internally frowned at her presence.

"Do you know what kind of food he likes." She asked. "I'm decided to bake him a snack and was wondering what he would like."

Now this was curious. Harry had never seen Victor eat much outside of the meat and bread offered at the school. From what he knew, Victor's eating habits revolved around what made him best for quidditch.

Debating on what to say, Harry decided to plead ignorant.

"He usually just eats school food." He answered. At her continued presence, Harry decided to get her out of his door as quickly as possible.

"Sorry, but I have homework." Closing the door in her face, Harry shivered.

He didn't know what he had against her. There was just something off. Near the end of the previous year her behavior bordered on stalkerish towards Victor.

Reapplying all the charms and protections he placed on the door, Harry sighed. No use in getting worked up over something so small. But he had a feeling this was not over.

Sighing, he moved on with the rest of his day.

There was a noticeable change when Victor returned the following day. Before, when Victor came into a room there was smirking and the occasional snicker. There were still condescending looks, but most kept their opinions more reserved now.

It was like Victor was gaining popularity, or at least losing the unpopularity he had. Harry recalled when Victor returned.

"Harry! So good to see you." Victor started, sitting down across from him. He was like a whole new person, with a smile constantly on his face. It was like quidditch had changed him into an entirely new person.

"Good to see you too." He responded. Victor spent most of dinner regaling him with his summer. Apparently, he had performed so well in his tryout that he had been put down immediately as replacement.

His first game (which Harry saw) was his first time in the spotlight, and his maneuvers actually broke a record apparently.

The conversation ended when Harry brought up the inevitable topic of school. Victor's smile faltered, and he looked somewhat put out.

"I spoke to Karkaroff on my arrival." He spoke. "He basically said that as long as I apply myself at all, I will still be a Durmstrang student."

At this, he paused and looked at Harry.

"Apparently something big is happening next year. And the good publicity I am giving the school could help a long way."

"Something big?" Harry questioned. What could be happening?

"I don't know much myself." Victor answered. "I was told that I will be given more information at the end of the year."

Wondering about what could possibly be going on, Harry continued.

"Have you been getting any letters from fans?" He asked. Victor let out a rough laugh.

"You wouldn't believe it!" He began. "Over four thousand letters in two days! It's amazing."

Harry took a moment to stare at Victor in shock. Four thousand? That was absurd, was a guy winning a quidditch game really so important?

"So." Harry started, covering up his shock. "When is your next game?"

"In about two months." Victor replied. He sounded so proud of it.

Shaking his head at his friend's enthusiasm Harry proceeded to continue his dinner, interrupted by the occasional small talk. He had finally gotten over the fact that Victor was more into quidditch than into school.

Who was he to judge anyway? Victor had obviously found the ropes of fame. The only way he could go was up from here, as long as he continued his current performance.

Deciding to turn in for the night, Harry bid Victor good night and made his way to his room.

Harry learned an interesting piece of information about potions: Screwing up sucks. While brewing the Wiggenweld potion, a student in the class accidentally added too many drops of Boom Berry Juice. The results were….unexpected.

The potion took on a greenish tint and began to shake in the cauldron. Professor Mendon waved her wand, and a silver sphere encompassed the potion to protect everyone. Except for the brewer.

Vivian Fashon was completely covered in her incomplete potion. She began to scream, until professor Mendon shot a spell at her and she toppled to the floor.

"Imbecile." She muttered, levitating the body towards the door. "The rest of you keep brewing while I take Ms. Fashon to the hospital."

Leaving the room with Vivian's floating body in tow, the rest of the students resumed their potion making. Harry saw one or two small snickers escape from students around the room.

Sighing, Harry pitied the girl. While it was her fault that she had messed up the instruction, he felt like it was harsh for professor Mendon to expose her to its effects.

'But then, how would anyone learn.' Harry thought. It was true in a twisted sort of way. If students didn't learn the hard way not to make the same mistakes, then there is nothing stopping them from repeating past screw ups.

Bottling his potion and placing it on the front desk, Harry departed the room. He waited outside until Elena finished, before the two headed down for lunch.

* * *

The days that followed were much the same with Harry going to classes and doing as instructed, whether that be to perform some task or to take notes on a lecture.

Victor was usually off writing some note to his coach to plan out his practices and matches, and the few hours he wasn't either training or writing he was knee deep in work.

Harry almost felt bad for him, if not for the fact that he chose this for himself. It also didn't evoke pity in him when he saw the galleons slip out of a letter one day.

Letter's only arrived during breakfast and dinner and were usually carried by school owls or the owls of students. Therefore, it was surprising to many when what Harry recognized as a ministry owl dropped a letter in front of him and departed.

'Ah! It's finally here.' He thought, looking at his copy of the Daily Prophet. After he had come back from Germany, Harry had purchased a weekly subscription to the Daily Prophet, and now it was here.

Taking a sip of water, Harry read the first lines.

 ** _Dementors stationed at Hogwarts! Black still at large!_**

The water came blasting out of his mouth as those words sunk into him. Why in Merlin's name would they put something like dementors around a place full of children!? That was a horrible idea.

"Victor!" He nearly shouted, even though Victor was sitting right next to him. "Look at this!"

Victor glanced over, and upon reading the page let out a gasp.

"NO!" Victor shouted. Harry could agree, this was horrible. "They postponed the world cup next year!"

'Hah?" He thought. What was Victor looking at? Taking the page back and looking it over, Harry noticed a little section at the side dedicated to quidditch. Indeed, it did say that the world cup was postponed a week.

"That's not what matters." He said. At Victor's puzzled glance, Harry pointed at the picture of the Dementors.

"The ministry stationed dementors around a school! Aren't you the least bit concerned about the sanity of the minister?"

Victor looked confused. Was Harry missing something here? Dementors were one of the worst creatures in existence, and there was no none means of killing them.

"The ministry had full control of the dementors." Victor said, not the least bit concerned. "They aren't any real threat."

Harry begged to differ, from what he knew dementors were some of the most dark and vicious creatures out there. Harry preferred to stay away from terms like dark and light, but with Dementors they were very much on the 'dark' side.

Sighing and slumping back onto his seat, Harry finished reading the page in silence. Apparently, Sirius Black was spotted closer to Hogwarts. What could he possibly want to go there for? Why would he want to get closer to the creatures that had him captive for years?

Pushing the matter to the side, Harry headed to charms for a lecture on consecutive charm usage. It was quite interesting, learning about how one can weave multiple spells into a single chain.

While they were still technically independent spells, there affects could overlap. One example that caught Harry's focus was being able to combine a water summoning charm and adding a freezing charm to the end of it.

If used during a fight, one could shoot out water from their wands using Aguamenti (or Aqua Eructo). They would then attack then freezing charm to the tail end of the spell, and the water would freeze almost immediately after.

In effect, one could shoot water and then freeze whatever the water covered. It could prove a useful area covering spell.

Deciding the save that particular experiment for the next month, Harry made a mental note to revisit the matter.

Sitting down across from Elena in the library, the two sat in silence while reviewing for their respective classes.

"I was wondering." Harry began. "Just how much dark arts do you know?"

Elena looked up at him with a mixed reaction. It was like she didn't know whether to smile or sneer at his question.

"I've learned my fair share." She replied, before going back to writing. Harry wasn't finished though.

"Did your house elf teach you?" He continued. "Or did you learn them on your own?"

"Does it matter?" Elena spoke, starting to look agitated. "I know the spells; how does it matter where I learned them?"

Deciding that he should withhold his questions until she was more comfortable around him, Harry halted his line of questioning before he made her angry.

Moving away from the castle, Harry moved towards his regular practicing area. He hadn't been since the end of the previous school year but wanted to test his first chain charm group.

He was going to see if he could cast a strong Aguamenti spell and then follow up with a freezing spell weaved in at the end. The tricky part was making sure that both spells were cast properly, while having their effects overlap.

"Augamenti" He said, watching as water came bursting out of his wand. Aiming at a tree, Harry watched as it was drenched in water. Taking a deep breath as the water continued to flow, Harry spoke the freezing spell.

"Glacius." He watched as the last drop of water leaving his wand froze and continued on until all the water that had been summoned had been turned to ice.

The tree that Harry had been aiming at now was partially encased in ice. It was kind of cool. It probably wouldn't unfreeze for quite some time.

Admiring his work on the tree, Harry turned to leave and ran chest first into a piece of ice.

'Forgot about that.' He thought. He was so focused on the tree that he forgot about the ice that had just left his wand when he cast the freezing spell. This meant that there was a ice line extending from the tree to the right where Harry stood.

Walking around his summoned ice, Harry made his way back to the castle. Content with the way this particular experiment played out, he thought about the potential uses for such combinations.

While freezing summoned water in a near instant had its uses, the ramifications of using chain spells was much greater.

One could combine a multitude of spells to create a devastating cascade of destruction. Or, one could use chain spells to weave helpful enchantments, whether it be for potions, transfiguration, or many of the other subjects.

Making his way back to the castle, Harry had someone he needed to talk to.

Walking into professor Emsorth's study, Harry noticed his charms professor reviewing papers.

"Ah, Mr. Potter." He began, setting his quill to the side. "What can I do for you now?"

"Professor, I had a question on my mind for some time." Harry answered. "Some of the stuff taught here, it could be very useful in the wizarding world. But I have never seen some of these methods in the in public, even when they could be very helpful."

"Ah, yes." Emsorth began. "That is a very simple question. You see, many of the students go out and join the ministries or any other affiliated group."

"They are idiots." HE continued. "The best students who graduate from Durmstrang are the ones who forge their own path, with hanging on to any other organization for power."

Silent, Harry thought it over. So, was his professor saying that he shouldn't get involved in any politics? Or any group related to a political organization?

"But then how does one get recognized?" He questioned further.

"truly great witches and wizards don't need anyone to hold them up." Emsorth answered. He stood up and walked around the desk.

Walking past Harry, he started to walk towards the exit of the study.

"You are not the best student I have taught, Mr. Potter." Emsorth said. "I have had students with the potential the change the world."

He fell silent as he opened the door and walked out. Harry followed, curious about the point his teacher was trying to make.

"There are witches and wizards, though few." He began again. "Who put the likes of the so-called Voldemort to shame."

From what Harry understood, Voldemort was one of the greatest dark lords of all time, and certainly one of the best duelers ever. If anyone could top him than they should be well known.

"Then why haven't I ever heard of them?" He questioned. Emsorth cracked a smile.

"The best witches and wizards, are the ones who nobody knows about." Turning and heading back in the direction of his classroom, Emsorth turned in the doorway and looked back at Harry.

"Some of the strongest witches and wizards can go through their whole lives without anyone knowing their power." He said.

"But you are not one of those people, are you? Mr. Potter?" He finished, closing the door.

Standing in the now empty hallway, Harry took a moment to reflect on what he was told. How can someone become great without any help?

All the ministries are built off the cooperation of many witches and wizards, and occasionally other magical creatures too. None of them could survive with just one person.

Even the strongest dark lords have needed followers in order to spread their goals and ideas. They wouldn't be able to put up a strong fight by themselves.

Thinking this over, Harry felt a noise from his stomach. Looking down, he realized that he probably needed dinner. Heading in the direction of the dining hall, a lingering unease about what professor Emsorth had told him remained.

Elena was giving him a headache. Apparently, she had gotten in a fight with a first-year student who she cursed soundly. That first year had an older brother, who was currently in the process of plotting revenge.

Harry hadn't even known what was happening until he saw Elena getting cursed on the ground, in the middle of one hallway by a student.

About to interfere, Harry noticed two other students in the back watching. It was too late to back out, as the three had already noticed him and turned their wands in his direction."

"Not this time." The boy cursing Elena spoke. "We heard about what you did last year to that other student. The one who was paying this girl back for what she did."

"This time." He continued, not moving his wand. "We will give her what she deserves."

Harry had to think fast about what to do. He wasn't going to leave Elena, she was putting up a brave face but looked to be on the verge of tears. Taking a deep breath, Harry decided to take one for the team.

"Leave her alone this time." He spoke. "And if she does anything again, it's on me."

Dead silence. Nobody speaks after that, with the three students staring at him as if he had grown a second head. They glanced at each other, before turning back to face him.

Harry saw confusion on their face. Wondering why standing up for his friend could unbalance them such, he was interrupted as the boy who cursed Elena spoke.

"You'll stand for her?" He said. After nodding his head, the three lowered their wands, but noticeable kept them out and began to back up.

"Alright, if she does anything." The same one who cursed Elena spoke. "Then it's on you."

Watching as the three moved away, Harry went to Elena's side once they turned the corner.

Sighing, he realized that the full extent of her injuring was of his capabilities to heal. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the surrounding skin was blackened. Her skin was pale, and she appeared to be shivering uncontrollably.

Sighing, Harry levitated her with his wand and made his way to the hospital wing.

* * *

It was three hours later when Elena finally woke up. Having a strong desire to speak to her after she awakened, Harry opted to sit down with a book and wait.

Once she finally woke up, Harry set down his book as Elena groggily wiped her eyes.

"You can't keep doing this." He began. Elena turned to face him, clarity entering her eyes.

"You can't keep cursing someone jut for the sake of cursing them." He continued. If she continued this kind of behavior in the real world she would be in Azkaban in no time.

"Society locks away people like you, the ones who are always fighting." He finished. While waiting he debated which way to approach the matter.

Her behavior couldn't continue, not like this anyway. It was just which path to take in telling her that. Deciding to start with a fear approach and then finishing with support, Harry continued his lecture.

"How would you like to spend the rest of your life surrounded by sol sucking monsters, until your only release is death?" He said. Elena seemed to sink beneath the covers somewhat. Hoping that this was a sign that he was getting to her, Harry continued.

"They lock people up for less than attacking others, do you think they will have any reservations against sending you to prison?" He spoke, wanting to drive this home. "You need to find other outputs for your anger than attacking people."

She was silent for a minute. Then two. And then three minutes where she didn't say anything. Letting out a disappointed sigh, Harry tried his second approach.

"You're my responsibility now." He said. "If you do anything to anyone else, it's on me now."

"You shouldn't have done that." She said, staring at him.

"Your right." His response silenced her. "But I did, and now we have to live with it."

Getting up and starting to walk out, Harry stopped halfway to the door and turned to face Elena once more.

"You're not crazy. Your angry. You need an outlet for that anger other than hurting others." And with that, Harry turned and departed, leaving a silent hospital wing.

Harry was right. Victor's girlfriend who gave him the creeps finally proved him right. Victor had just returned from his latest quidditch win. He had been overjoyed about his victory and was throwing himself a party.

Harry wondered at what kind of person could throw themselves a party. Deciding to attend in bemusement, he was surprised when he noticed a large number of younger students and some older year students also attending.

Apparently, during the middle of the party Victor's girlfriend Leila Elgen tried to dose him with a love potion. To be more specific it was Amortentia, the strongest love potion in the world.

Harry had to give it to Victor though. Evers since he arrived at Durmstrang, he had taken to testing all his food and drinks with a multitude of spells in order to check for foul play.

It was therefore shocking to Harry when Victor drank a glass of vodka without testing it. He was further surprised to see Victor develop a massive smile and turn to face Leila. Putting a rough picture of what was going on, Harry got out his wand.

He didn't know at the time that Victor was dosed with a love potion, but he could clearly see that something was wrong with his friend. Deciding to intervene, Harry took a step in Victor's direction.

But it was unnecessary. As Victor was about to give her a kiss, he whipped out his wand and sent her into the wall. She crashed and fell over and was clearly not about to get back up.

'Huh?!" Harry thought, watching as everything ground to a halt. Victor stunned her for good measure, and levitated her out of the room they were in. Before leaving, Victor glanced back.

"Sorry everyone, I will be back soon." And with that Victor left, girlfriends' body in tow.

'Or should I say former girlfriend.' Harry thought amused. From what he knew, and the little Victor told him Leila was no longer attending Durmstrang.

The news had spread by the next day, and it was surprising the many that Victor now held some power over the other students.

Perhaps it was due to his friends growing international publicity, and that his reputation was more important than the attendance of an unimportant student.

The point was, Victor got someone expelled. And that made people more cautious of him. Which made them somewhat more cautious of Harry as a result.

He still had one question though. If Victor drank from the infected glass, how had he not succumbed to its effects? His question was answered by Victor himself the following day.

"Victor." Harry started. "When you drank from the glass, how were you not overcome with the love potions effects?"

Victor stopped consuming the meat on his plate and let out a laugh that sounded half amused and half snarky.

"For quidditch we have to maintain a certain image." He explained. "It would reflect poorly on the team if I was involved in a love potion scandal. So, we train to avoid such issues."

So, Victor was taught how resist love potions? Was that even possible?

"I didn't overcome the love potion." Victor said, as if reading hi thoughts. "I was able to discreetly test the glass, and then applied the counter spell to the potion."

Harry stared at Victor in a whole new light. Did his friend really manage to test and nullify his drink without him or anyone else noticing? If so, then that deserved recognition.

"How did you learn to check drinks that quickly?" He asked Victor, genuinely curious.

"Hours upon hours of practice. Honestly, if the quidditch wasn't so good I would have backed out during the training. Its brutal."

'I guess motivation is really the best stimulus for learning.' Harry thought wryly. Here was a guy who couldn't even get the bubblehead charm the previous year.

Now, he was learning how to quickly test and counteract powerful love potions (and who knows what else) without anyone even noticing. That was an improvement, no question about it.

Harry smiled, glad that Victor was continuing to advance in subjects other than quidditch, even If they were limited.

* * *

Elena took his message to heart. Somewhat. She now decided it would be better to curse him than other people.

None of the spells she used were malicious, at least not entirely. Although after one particularly long time vomiting purple slime out of his mouth, Harry had enough.

"Will you cut it out!" He spoke, finding Elena in the library studying for transfiguration. He was quite tired of always looking behind his back or into his food.

Harry even got Victor to give him a few pointers about how to check one's food and drink for poison and curses, high as his paranoia became.

"I don't know what you mean." She replied, giving the worst possible innocent look Harry had ever seen. It almost made him feel amused. Almost.

"I am sick and tired of you flinging spells at me left and right." He said, half pleading.

'How has it come to this?' He thought pathetically. He was really boxed into a corner here. It was better that he be cursed than have Elena attack some other random students and have retaliation.

But he knew that he couldn't take this forever, and he could only respond with light spell and jinxes for so long.

Maybe…..maybe he could try guilting her to stop attacking him? He would have to assume that they have become close enough to try such a tactic. Deciding to give it a try, Harry let out a sigh.

"I guess you hate me then?" He said, trying to make his voice as miserable as possible. Elena's face twitched slightly, but she made no response.

"If you didn't want me around, you could have just asked." Deciding to hammer in the nail, he turned and prepared to leave.

"I won't bother you anymore." He said, turning and leaving the library at a brisk pace.

He didn't have to walk far, as Elena caught up to him soon after he left.

"Wait!" She said, but Harry just kept walking.

"Stop!"

"No!"

"I'm sorry!"

Those words brought Harry to a complete stop. Did he really just invoke an apology out of Elena? He had no time to ponder this magical development, as Elena crashed into him.

Both toppling to the ground, Harry almost couldn't help but smile. Almost.

"I'll stop." She said. Harry couldn't hold it in anymore, he burst out laughing. Elena looked at him as if he were insane, before realization dawned in her eyes.

"You didn't." She whispered. Her eyes became slits, and she glared at Harry while reaching for her wand.

Needing to act fast before she cursed him, Harry reached out his hand and lightly grabbed hers. He stared at her for a moment, before chucking.

"You already promised." Elena looked pissed, and grudgingly lowered her hand.

"Come on, let's go for a walk." He told her, moving in the direction of the front gate.

Before leaving, Harry made sure to apply warming charms to the both of them. It was very cold outside, with the water being either being frozen into ice or snowing down.

Exiting the castle, the two walked a distance. Elena seemed uncertain for some reason, which prompted Harry's curiosity.

"How many times have you left the castle?" Asking her seemed to shake her from her trepidation.

"A few times." She replied, crossing her arms and staring ahead. That was a clear tell sign that she was lying. Usually she didn't give such signs, but she was apparently off kilter today.

"Try again." Harry told her. They walked in silence without any answer's forthcoming, for a while.

"Except when I portkey in, I have never been outside here." She whispered. So that explained the slight agitation, it would certainly unnerve someone as twitchy as Elena if she was outside in an unfamiliar place for the first time.

Harry decided to show her his favorite place. Arriving, Harry noticed that the tree that he had frozen partially shut was still partially encased in ice. It was dead though, fancy that. A clearly dead tree surrounded by clearly alive and flourishing trees.

"This is where I practice spells that are too dangerous for the castle." He told her. They stood around for a moment before Elena gave a slight shiver. Even with the warming charm applied, the cold still permeated the air.

'What do you expect from Siberia?' Harry thought dryly. The two continued a way, until arriving in an area that Harry still remembered.

It was here the previous year that several students practiced fiendfyre and died. Unlike the other area's in the forest though, this place bore a clear distinction.

The ground was completely blackened, and it had considerably less snow than other parts. The tree's surrounding the area were all blackened or missing parts, with some holes indicating several trees were simply consumed by the flames.

Staring at the scene in morbid recollection, Harry almost didn't notice Elena walk beside him.

"What was it like?" She asked, voice tinged with slight curiosity. He thought for a while, and summed up the whole experience with a single sentence.

"It was horrifying." He answered. The two stood in silence, and the wind breezed through them almost as if ignoring their warming charms.

"Let's go back." Elena said, almost as if asking a question. Harry nodded, and the two began their walk back to the castle. Before entering though, Elena turned to look at him.

"I guess I'll stop cursing you…too much." She added quickly. Letting out a small smile, Harry admitted he would take what he could get.

'Now time for a little revenge.' He thought. Before she could move on, Harry grabbed her in a light hug. Unlike before, she didn't flinch away but just kind of went still.

'Well, progress is progress.' Moving on before Elena could compose herself again Harry spent the rest of his day hiding in a corner, reading a book about charms.

The quarter point of the year was approaching. Everything was progressing smoothly. Victor was on the verge of his third quidditch game. Harry hoped the best for him in that regard.

Elena had calmed down somewhat. She was still semi hostile but was no longer sending vomiting or entrail expelling curses at anyone.

From what he heard from rumors. Victor's former girlfriend was now working at some back-alley vendor shop.

'I guess what goes around comes around.' He thought.

Classes continued to go well. Harry was interested in getting out again and working on aqua eructo. He resolved to get that started sometime before Christmas.

Also, on the matter of charms Harry had managed to get his first chain spell involving three different spells.

Although he had already completed the spell from a theoretical standpoint, it was still necessary to test the spell. He would do that in the following week.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **All spells that are used in the fight scene here actually exist in Harry Potter.**

 **There is a large amount of money exchanged here, so remember that in this story a galleon is worth 17 pounds.**

* * *

The air was cold, as it ought to be. It was the beginning of November, and it showed. The days were shorter, and the wind was more brutal.

But that didn't stop Harry as he made his way outside of the castle and approached his practicing spot with an experiment in mind.

He was not alone today, as Elena decided to tag along with him to see his new spell. Unlike him, who mostly fine with warming and wind breaking charms on him; Elena was quite noticeably not enjoying herself at the moment.

'I guess some people just like the warmth.' Harry thought, glancing at her slightly shivering form.

He had been slightly worried, truth be told when he first saw her out by herself in the cold shivering quite noticeably. He had almost told her to head back to the castle and warm up, but her defiant expression stalled his words in his mouth.

"If you can do it, then I can definitely do it." She replied with a haughty expression. That was another difference Harry that noticed recently.

While Elena was no longer as aggressive in terms of spell fire, she had developed something of a competitive streak with Harry. It was actually kind of refreshing, having someone to work against him directly.

Shaking himself from his reflections, Harry noticed that they had arrived at their spot.

His spell that he was practicing today was an extension of the one he had used several months earlier. He would be sending out a significant stream of water which he would then freeze as it leaves his wand.

Harry would then weave a blasting curse into the tail end of the spell. This would shatter the now-frozen water and send the shards hurtling in the direction of the curse.

Taking a deep breath, Harry readied his wand and prepared himself as Elena leaned against a tree.

"Augamenti." He began, watching as the familiar water burst from his wand. Watching as it covered a good thirty feet in water, Harry prepared the next part.

"Glacius." He intoned. Like before, the ice froze as it left his wand spreading to the rest of the water lying on the ground. Soon the whole thirty feet was solid ice, about a good three inches thick.

The next part he needed a moment to think. As the last of the water froze, Harry flicked his wand to the side and away from him and Elena.

"Confringo." He said. The spell immediately shattered the ice, creating many ice shards spanning anywhere from less than an inch to almost half a foot. They immediately flew in the direction that the blasting curse was sent, as embedded in several trees almost fifty feet away.

'A decent wide area attack.' Harry surmised. While many used aguamenti for its ability to put out fires and the such, Harry saw the capabilities for a unexpected attack.

"Now it's my turn." Elena said. What followed was nearly half an hour of her torturing the trees with a wide variety of curses Harry had scarcely heard of.

After one particular tree turned blue and started to melt, Harry decided that was enough.

"Let's head back." He told her. She looked like she wanted to continue for the rest of the day, but Harry knew that he had classes to get back too and chances were so did she.

"We can come back here some other day, but we have classes to get to now." Seeing her still somewhat hesitate, Harry turned and started walking back.

One important thing that he had learned about Elena was that she loved getting attention. Whether that attention was good or bad, Harry didn't think she cared all too much.

So, when he turned his back on her and started to walk away, Elena got somewhat annoyed. Hearing her footsteps catching up to him, Harry knew that she would do something about this later but was glad that he got his point across anyway.

* * *

The dark arts class was finally starting to go somewhere. They were learning about the origins of the unforgivable. They weren't teaching them of course, as that would lead to a lifetime spent in Azkaban.

That didn't make it any less interesting though. Harry could still recall his surprise when he entered the classroom that day.

"Today, we a taking a small detour form our curriculum." Professor Ashen stated. "Today, we will begin a series of classes that will span the next few years."

She stared for a moment.

"The subject of today's lecture, are the three unforgivable." Everyone seemed to sit a bit higher in their seats upon hearing that.

Harry himself was interested although the rational part of his mind told him that it was unlikely, he would see the spells in practice.

"The unforgivable were first created, or at least recorded during the dark ages. More specifically, during the rise of the….."

She dove into a lecture involving a ancient dark lord, and how his forces were the first to use the killing curse in mass quantity.

It was actually kind of interesting learning about how for the first time, an army wielded a spell that couldn't be blocked or shielded against.

'Must have been terrifying.' Harry thought. Indeed, it would be horrifying to learn that everything you were taught about deflection was useless against this new spell.

Leaving the classroom thoroughly intrigued by the lecture, Harry felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"Potter." A male voice said. Turning, Harry saw one of his classmates staring at him.

It was Olgien Dresgoth, a student who he had never really talked to. They sat on different side of the classroom and there was not much group activity through the year.

"Yes." Replying politely, Harry didn't let his curiosity show. He wondered why this boy would want to talk to him.

"I heard you were close to that Blackwell girl, is that true?" He asked. Debating whether or not to tell him he truth, Harry sighed. It would be impossible to lie convincingly, considering the amount of people who knew how friendly Elena and him were.

"We are close." He replied. Wondering if this boy was out looking for revenge, Harry's had twitched towards his wand. But his fears were unfounded.

"Do you know any of the spells she used?" Olgien asked, voice almost demanding.

'And admirer?' Harry thought, but then discarded the idea. It was more likely that his kid simply wanted to know whatever spell Elena cursed someone with for his own purposes.

"I am more talented in charms than the dark arts, sorry." He told the boy. About to turn and leave, he was stopped by Olgien's voice again.

"How about a duel?" Olgien began. "If I win, you introduce me to her, and if I lose than you can name your price."

Harry thought over the terms. If he did lose to this kid, then he would probably have to spend a month hiding from Elena. She would curse him to hell and back if she found out he involved her in a wager.

But, the option to name whatever price he wanted from Olgien was too good to pass up on.

"Alright, your on." He said. "When and where?"

"Now, and outside the castle." Olgien replied. Harry's smile froze at that. If Olgien was planning something nasty, then the wards layered onto the castle wouldn't pick up on it if they were a sufficient distance away.

"Fine, but I chose the exact spot." It was Olgien's turn to look slightly irked, as he also knew that Harry could be planning something. Nodding his head in acceptance, the two walked outside in silence.

On the way out, they ran into Victor. Victor stared at the two of them, before turning to Harry.

"So, having your first official duel then?" He said, arching an eyebrow. "Mind if I tag along?"

Harry noticed how Olgien's eyes widen lightly but didn't notice the stars appear.

"I guess, if it's okay with you." Directing the second part at Olgien. He couldn't nod fast enough.

The three walked out of the castle, Harry directing them towards his favorite spot. Upon second though, Harry led them to a slightly different area, not wanting to give his opponent knowledge on where he usually went.

The two stood apart form each other on a flat surface, which was glazed over with ice. Harry had to make sure not to slip.

Victor stood off to the side, a fair distance off as to not be collateral damage.

Harry and Olgien stared at each other, wands at the ready in their hands.

"Colloshoo!" Olgien shouts, and Harry found that his feet couldn't move from the ice. He was half panicked when Olgien set out confringo at him but managed to shield just in time.

It was not entirely successful, as a bit of heat got through and made light scorch marks on his face.

He had no time to wince in pain however, as he sent a depulso spell at Olgien, who was flung away on the ice.

"Waddiwasi!" And Harry's feet were unfrozen, and he prepared his next spell as Olgien got up.

"Augamenti." Using his favorite water spell, Harry decided now was the time to test his chain spell in action.

Sending the water at Olgien, Harry twirled his wand and it began to surround the boy. Muttering the freezing spell, Harry watched as the water froze around his opponent, leaving only part of his head exposed to the air.

Deciding it would probably be best if he didn't use his next spell and shatter the ice into Olgien, Harry called that game.

Hearing clapping from his side, Harry saw Victor approaching. Making sure to keep Olgien in his peripheral, Harry turned to face his friend.

"Good duel Harry, glad to see you win." Taking that compliment straight to the head, Harry couldn't help but feel prideful.

"Now, let's get out of this freezing weather." Nodding his head in agreement, the two began walking back to the castle as the snow intensified.

But before he could go far, he remembered something. Running back to where Olgien was frozen, Harry hesitated for only a moment before unfreezing him.

Watching as Olgien fell to the ground and gasped with part of his skin turning blue in several areas, Harry felt slightly bad.

Waving his wand and applying warming charms to his younger classmate, Harry watched as the boy slowly wheezed on the ground.

'I didn't know it would be so…..brutal.' he thought, watching the aftermath of his spell. It wasn't any worse than if he had been hit by the Confringo, but it was still slightly discomforting to see the damage he had caused.

After a minute has passed and Harry had determined that Olgien would not die, he rejoined Victor and the two returned to the castle.

"Why did you unfreeze him." Victor asked, appearing curious. Harry glanced back at him, having thought the answer was obvious.

"I didn't want him to die." He told Victor. "Maybe hurt him a little, show him that I'm the better dueler. But not kill him."

"Besides." Harry said, turning forward again. "I don't want to be expelled for killing a student."

"You wouldn't be." He heard. Skidding to a stop, Harry turned a faced Victor.

"What do you mean." He said, sure that he misunderstood. Of course, he would be expelled for killing someone, right?

"If both parties agree to the duel, then if either one dies there are no formal consequences." Victor said solemnly.

Harry stared at him aghast. If he had forgotten about Olgien and he died, then he wouldn't have been punished at all?

"Now, there would definitely be some retaliation from any of the old families, outside of the school." Victor continued, apparently not noticing Harry's internal dilemma.

"Victor." He started warily. "If I had died in that duel, would Olgien face any punishment?"

Victor's silent answer told him all that he needed to know. Harry had been stupid, agreeing to a fight with someone he barely knew anything about. There might be retaliation now anyway, after all from what he knew Olgien did have some connection in the Russian ministry.

Deciding to keep a low profile until this thing hopefully blows over, Harry resumed his walk towards the castle with Victor.

* * *

The rest of the week passed uneventfully. Olgien appeared a bit miffed by his loss.

'It seems he was suffering from ego mania.' Harry thought wryly. To a certain degree it was true, but the answer was probably much more complex.

Most parents raise their kids to believe they are special, and this can lead to their offspring developing superiority complexes.

It was even worse in the wizarding world from what he could tell, where there was a much smaller population, and with something as powerful as magic being tossed around it was likely some kids thought they would be the next Merlin or something.

Everyone, both magical and muggle eventually wake up from this dream. Some, like the purebloods instead of believing themselves better than their fellow magical turn their focus towards hating inhuman and unmagical beings.

Some, like nay of the muggles Harry had seen tend to sink into a depressive state. It is somewhat disheartening, to realize you are only one in billions of people and that anything you do is likely to be forgotten or meaningless.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Harry refocused on his current assignment. Today professor Mendon was teaching them how to brew a simply sleeping potion. And by simple, Harry meant extremely dangerous and highly toxic if brewed incorrectly type of potion.

"Make sure to add a stasis charm to the potion while you collect other materials." Professor Mendon added. After the incident where Vivian Fashon mess up her potion and spent a week out in the hospital, Harry wasn't going to take any chances.

He had made sure to pay attention if any of the warning signs for this potion came up. If created incorrectly, one of the telltale signs of a disaster coming was light blue mist starting to rise from the rims.

Harry had set up a containment ward around his cauldron, just in case. It anything did go horribly wrong, then he could simply step back out of the edge of the protective charm and then clear the failed potion.

Unlike the Wiggenweld potion, this one took several days to brew. Therefore, it was necessary to put them in stasis overnight. About to pack up his equipment after handing in his vail to continue the next day, Harry heard a cough from beside his seat.

Glancing over, he noticed his fellow tablemate looking somewhat contrite. Recalling her name as Kentra Bosen, Harry waited to see what she would say.

"I accidently cut my Dittany leaf too short." She side-whispered. "Could I borrow some of yours?"

Harry looked over at professor Mendon, who was off to the side looking into a student's cauldron. After making sure she wouldn't see as one of her rules was to let a student succeed or fail on their own merit, Harry passed over the leaf.

The rest of the class passed uneventfully, except at the end. When most of the students were exiting the class, professor Mendon was decided she was not done with him yet.

"Potter." She called. "Wait behind."

Curious about what she could want to hold him back for, he complied. After the room had cleared except for the two of them, professor Mendon continued.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice you giving the Bosen girl that leaf?"

'Ow frack.' Harry thought. 'Figures she would catch me the one time I cheated.'

Staring at her for several minutes, he grew more and more nervous when she didn't say anything else. A tiny bead of sweat ran down his cheek after five minutes had passed.

Finally, she flicked her wand and the door swung open.

"Don't let me catch you again Mr. Potter." She began. "Or I'll send you to Magnon for detention."

Harry scurried from the room, somewhat terrified of the concept. He had of course heard about the infamous punisher of students.

He had been told that if the students who cast the fiendfyre the previous year had survived, then they would have wished they died after a week with Elion Magnon.

While he doubted that he would receive the worst punishment for his offense was quite small, Harry still didn't venture a night with a man who was probably more feared than Karkaroff.

As Harry sat down across from Victor, he grabbed a piece of bread and hungrily ate into it.

"Charms is proving the be….interesting." He commented. Victor didn't reply, although Harry didn't really expect him to.

Victor had advanced from the previous year, but unlike Harry he had been relegated to fourth year charms. That was one class he was having to spend a significant amount of time on.

Harry tried to help him as much as he could but between his own classes and experimentation outside, combined with Victor's quidditch schedule meant that he couldn't help that much.

Victor was lucky in one respect though. After he had returned form his third successful game, his popularity in Bulgaria had apparently risen to the point where it would be disgraceful on both the team and Durmstrang for him to fail out.

Karkaroff gave Victor leeway in that he apparently told the teachers to pass Victor no matter what.

Speaking of Karkaroff, Harry hadn't really seen much of him over the years. Except for his initiation and the incident with Grindelwald's study, the only time he saw the headmaster was at the initiation feast and once or twice during the year.

It was actually kind of odd comparing the frequent sightings of Dumbledore at Hogwarts, with the almost nonexistent sightings of Karkaroff.

Shaking his head, Harry took another bite and looked at Victor.

"Your next game is coming up soon, isn't it?" He asked. Victor grunted and went back to eating his meal.

Harry wasn't aware of everything going on in the world, but his subscription to the daily prophet meant that he knew at least one interesting fact about Victor.

Apparently, Victor had found a new girlfriend. Or as the papers were calling it, A young love story. Harry had noticed just by looking at the picture of her that there was no way Victor had feelings for this girl.

"Apparently you have found a new lover." He spoke, dry humor evident in his voice. "Let's hope there isn't any schneegans like last time."

"It's not like that." Victor mumbled through his breakfast. Wiping the food from his mouth, Victor elaborated further.

"The quidditch captain took me aside one day and told me he had good publicity for me. Without any warning, he sprung his French girl on me and said she was my girlfriend."

Harry stared at him for a moment, a bit baffled by the captain's decision. Was it a publicity thing? Was the team being paid to have their members handed off to others?

"Do you have any say in the matter?" Harry questioned. He felt a bit bad that Victor was being shoved into this position.

"No." Victor replied. "But it isn't all bad. All I have to do I flirt with her and pretend like we are going somewhere in public."

"Ah, so it isn't real?" He wondered. Victor looked at him as if he had grown a third eye.

"I doubt that we'll get married." He spoke, bemusement clear in his tone. "These things happen so that rich families can be seen associating with the popular and famous."

Trying to ignore the sheer pride in Victor's voice upon saying that, Harry shook his head in confusion.

"But can't people see that it is so clearly a facade? A fake?" He questioned, a bit shocked that anyone could fall for such a play.

It truly saddened him that anyone could believe the fake visage that his friend put on. Victor appeared to disagree based on his expression.

"You knew me before I went professional." He began. "You know the real me. But everyone else doesn't. All they see is Victor the quidditch star, and nothing else."

Harry had no response for that. It took him several minutes to think it over, and he realized that Victor was right.

Harry had known Victor for over a year now. He had gotten to know the quidditch maniac before he hit the papers. Everyone else didn't. It was a said fact, that everyone would latch onto whatever story the media shoved down their throats.

It was also sad that the captain of the team and possibly the manager as well would use the team members in order to expand connections and gain support.

'It's not entirely unexpected.' He thought. Even in the muggle world, there were scandals that occurred all the time. Harry wondered how many relationships in both the magical and muggle world were arranged.

"I didn't know." Harry told Victor, a hint of an apology present in his voice. Victor waved his wand, dismissing his comment.

"It doesn't matter." He said. "These things peter out after a while. I have no doubt that the girl is already arranged to marry someone else. She comes from a long pureblood family line in France."

Victor returned to his meal, but Harry was not so content. Glancing at his copy of the Daily Prophet, He spent several minutes reading it over.

To his slight surprise, he realized that if he hadn't known Victor personally, then he probably would have believed everything that was in the article. It even goes on to say Victor was excelling in every class!

Keeping his surprise to himself, Harry decided to keep everything he learned from the papers to under suspicion.

* * *

Harry was startled by Elena slumping down across frim him at his table in the library. She looked quite terrible, with bags under her eyes. Somewhat concerned for her, Harry opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm so bored!" She said, silencing him with her reply.

'That's it?' Harry thought. That was the reason she looked like she hadn't slept in half a week? She looked like an insomniac for Merlin's sake!

"Um…..That's bad." Harry responded, unable to think of anything else to day. Elena gave him a glare that promised retribution if he messes up.

"It's horrible." She continued. "I don't have anything to do. I can't curse the students, I can't curse you, everything's falling apart!"

'A bit dramatic, don't you think?' Harry kept that comment to himself. Although Elena had promised to not curse him anymore, he really didn't want to test it.

"Well, if your so bored, then find something to occupy yourself." He felt that was the safest thing to say.

"But what is there to do?" She whined. "What do you do when you're bored?"

What would be the best way to tell Elena that whenever he was bored, he either went outside or read a book quietly somewhere? He didn't think his action loving friend would take that advice very well.

"I learn a new piece of magic." He finally said. "There is always something new to learn, or some old spell to refine my knowledge of."

While this was certainly what most appealed to Harry on a rainy day, he debated whether Elena had the patience to sit down and read a book front to back for the heck of it. Most students certainly didn't.

A lightbulb suddenly went off in Harry's head. He could combine his love of books with Elena's newfound rivalry with him.

They would both try to learn about a new piece of magic and then test it against each other. That would promote them both to try and learn magic with more effort and enthusiasm.

"I have an idea." He told her. "What if we both try and learn a new piece of magic, and then see who's better."

Although she tried to hide it, Harry thought he saw a hint of excitement enter Elena's eyes. It seems his plan worked, for now.

"Fine, but I get to choose the magic." The reply wiped Harry's excitement right off the map. What kind of magic did Elena have in mind?

Harry heard her mumble words from her mouth, occasionally picking out words like "Apparition" and "Avis".

He would be very amused if Elena picked Avis, since that had been a spell that he had mastered in his first year.

It was actually somewhat strange that he had mastered a seventh-year spell but had trouble with some of the fifth-year spells being taught now. Nothing too difficult, but the pace was getting noticeable faster.

His musings were interrupted as Elena suddenly brightened, and Harry prepared himself for her answer.

"The cruciatus curse." She said happily.

"…."

After nearly two minutes of Harry staring at Elena thinking she was insane, she suddenly burst out laughing.

"Just joking." She said, with a small giggle. Harry was not amused, for a split second he a thought that she was being serious.

He didn't know which was worse, her joking about wanting to cast the curse, or her actually wanting to cast it.

…On second thought, he felt like an idiot. Of course, it was better for Elena to pretend to want to cast the curse then actually wanting to cast it.

"If that was a joke, then what is your actual answer?" He said, still somewhat perturbed by her jest.

"The flagrante curse!" She said, enthusiasm finally present in her voice.

Harry recalled what he knew about the spell. It was a curse usually used for protecting an item from being touched. From what he knew it was probably used to protect some family's wealth from being taken.

"Alright, your on." He said. It shouldn't be too hard to learn that specific spell, probably just a few low sleep nights and he would know it. Probably.

"Let's test it sometimes after Christmas."

"Ok." She appeared ready to leave, before taking on a pensive expression.

"I was also wondering." She appeared to grind out her next words. "If you wanted to come over to my manor…for the holidays."

Harry fainted.

"Aguamenti" He heard, before he got drenched in water. Bolting upright in his seat, he turned and looked at Elena.

"Elena!" He began, startled. "I just had the weirdest dream. You invited me over for Christmas!"

She stared at him for a minute, before shooting another jet of water at his face. Coughing and hacking his lungs out from all the water, it took Harry a few moments to recompose himself and realize the dream was real.

"Eh….." He was at a it of a loss. "Sure?"

Elena's lips twitched, and without a reply she turned a left the library. Staring after her as she left, Harry was a bit dumbfounded.

Elena had never shown any inclination for wanting to have him over as a guest. Was she getting lonely? Or maybe she was always lonely and just was working up the nerve to ask him over.

'That makes it sound like a date.' He thought. Did that qualify as a date? Getting asked over by a girl to her house?

Shaking his head, Harry decided to see what he could find about the flagrante curse.

Walking out of his transfiguration class, Harry headed to dinner. He had just finished practicing the flagrate spell, which allowed one to write fiery words into the air.

It didn't seem to have much practical application but was cool as hell. If he didn't fear going to prison for breaking the Statute of Secrecy, then he would have loved to show his fellow orphanage kids this spell. It would freak them all out.

Lowing himself across from Victor, Harry began helping himself to the closest plate of food. Taking a bite, Harry turned his eyes to Victor.

"I hope you do well on your next game." He told him. Victor mumbled something through a mouthful of bread.

Victor's next game would be over the holidays, which began in just a few days. It would be his fourth game so far this year.

This game was putting him under a lot of pressure for several reasons. Firstly, this was one of the first qualifying games for the world cup, which would take place the following summer.

Winning this game would start Victor's path to be the youngest ever seeker to win the world cup in nearly two hundred years.

"Would you be willing to help lighten the homework load a bit?" Victor asked.

That was another thing. Victor was so stressed and overworked with quidditch, that he had asked Harry to help with his homework.

Some might say that Victor was taking advantage of him for his own benefit, and to a certain degree that was true. But Victor was also being genuinely overworked, and it showed.

His friend often arrived exhausted and would fall asleep early in the evening to wake up early for practice, both at Durmstrang and at his training facility.

And because he goes to sleep so early, he had much less time to work on school. If it wasn't for his popularity, then Victor probably would have been in serious trouble.

"I won't be able to get you tickets to this game." Victor said apologetically. "But if we make it to the world cup, then I promise to get you tickets."

"Don't worry about it." Harry told him. Despite his past reservations about Victor's path in life, he could clearly see that Victor as invested in quidditch. Although he seemed to get extremely stressed sometimes, he also did enjoy the game quite a bit.

Shaking his head, Harry took the papers from Victor and got to work.

Harry did something that was very rare in Durmstrang. When he dueled Olgien, he apparently should have left the boy to freeze in the ice. Word had spread around some, and it led to a very awkward situation.

Harry did it so the boy didn't die, but the family took it much more seriously than that. Apparently, Harry had earned something called a life debt.

He didn't even know about it until Olgien came up to him one morning and handed him a letter. Taking it, Harry didn't notice the sigh of relief that escaped Olgien when he took the letter. Opening it, Harry began to read.

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _As the head of the Dresgoth family, I would like to thank you for saving my heir and son. As the heir apparent to the Dresgoth fortune, it would be disastrous for anything to happen to him. Therefore, as fulfilment for the life debt Olgien incurred, I am authorizing the transfer of 200,000 galleons._

 _Effective immediately, the specified funds will be delivered to your Gringotts vault._

Harry froze. The bread that he just swallowed began to feel very heavy in his stomach. 200,000 Galleons? That was a lost of money. Actually, Harry was technically a millionaire if he transferred the money into pounds.

Recalling that the Galleon was worth about seven pounds, Harry felt a bit dizzy. Why would they give such an absurd about of money?

Finishing the letter, it basically said that they hoped this incident was concluded and they could all move forward. It felt a bit rushed for some reason, leaving Harry somewhat confused.

He had asked Victor about it several days later, and he had a very simply answer.

"The family owes you a debt. Its better if they give a large sum money and put the entire matter behind them, then to have it pop up again later at an inconvenient time."

"But still, it's a lot of money." Harry replied, still overwhelmed by the sheer amount of gold he now had.

"Not to the purebloods." Victor responded. "The Dresgoth family has over twenty million galleons in gold. Giving up less than a percent of that is nothing, considering they will probably regain that amount of money in less than three months."

Not responding, Harry was still unsure about the situation. Victor picked up on his unease this time and gave a more comforting response.

"My salary so far has been twenty thousand gallons per game, and more with the recent merchandise coming out. It really isn't that much money."

Putting the issue of Victor merchandise to the side, Harry gave a sigh and finally accepted the situation for now.

He would definitely be writing a letter to Gringotts about setting up an account for himself.

* * *

Christmas had come. It was time to leave for the holidays, and Harry honestly didn't know what to expect.

For the first time he would be living in someone else's home for a whole week. It was somewhat unnerving to be in such a situation for the first time.

'I survived fiendfyre, I can survive a sleepover for a week.' He resolved.

Walking out to meet Elena outside with his trunk in hand, Harry was once again happy about lightweight charms.

He had agreed to meet Elena outside the main entrance to Durmstrang, where the student's portkey in and out. Finding her waiting for him leaning against the wall just inside the gate, Harry walked up to her.

"Ready when you are." He expected some kind of joke or snide remark, but there was none forthcoming.

She simply nodded and held out a silver chain in her hand. Now familiar with the feeling of portkeys, Harry readied himself and took hold.

Being squeezed through a tube never got any less uncomfortable, but at least this time he didn't feel like he was going to vomit.

It was very dark out, and Harry didn't recognize his surroundings at first. It took a few moments to adjust to the dark light, and Harry cast lumos the brighten his surroundings more.

The first thing he noticed was that they stood in front of a large gate, about ten feet tall by Harry's guess. He saw a large structure in the distance but couldn't make out more details in the low light.

Seeing Elena start walking forward and hold out her wand Harry made sure to follow. The gate swung open as Elena moved near, and nearly closed on Harry.

The two walked about fifty feet in silence, before Harry noticed more defined details of the structure.

'Looks like a mansion.' He thought. It stood at least three stories tall, and Harry saw through the snow several balconies dotted around the levels.

Moving through the cold wind, they eventually passed through a large door. But before Harry could relax from the cold a loud 'pop' had him going for his wand.

Elena shushed him with a wave, and Harry noticed a small…thing looking up at him. After staring at him or a good half minute, the creature turned to Elena.

It was a little pale thing, with big floppy ears and wide eyes. Waring a worn shirt, the creature reminded Harry of a Christmas elf, except without the happiness and somewhat depressing.

'Is…..is it a house elf?' Harry thought. It would certainly make sense.

"Mistress is home." It crooned. Its voice gave off a male tone. "Mistress has brought someone with her."

Harry stared down on the thing, wondering what sort of bizarre creature this thing was. It gave off the feel of being something life a servant, at least that's what Harry thought.

"Yes, Quill." Elena replied to the thing. As if finally remembering Harry was standing there dumbfounded, she turned towards him.

"This is Quill, the family house elf." Ah, so this was the house elf raised Elena. Unless there were other house elves around her somewhere.

Taking his eyes off the small creature conversing with Elena, Harry glanced around the room. Or should he say foyer, because that better described the entrance room he had walked into.

There was a large gallery staircase extending up to the next floor. The room was quite large, probably about forty feet wide. It seemed like something out of a medieval castle picture.

"Quill will take you to your room." Elena interrupted his thoughts, before walking up the staircase and out of view with her trunk floating behind her.

Harry was taken aback when the house elf literally 'popped' in front of him.

"I am Quill, please follow me." It murmured. It led Harry up the staircase and to the left, and to the opposite side of the house that Elena had gone.

"Are all the rooms spread throughout the house?" Harry questioned. For such a big house, it would be unlikely that people would run into each other here.

"No." The house elf replied. "The men and woman sleep in different parts of the house."

'Ah, very old family.' Harry thought. He had read about some of the basic pureblood traditions, one of which was different genders living in opposite wings of a house.

So, Elena was from such a family, one that still maintained many pureblood customs? Harry almost stumbled as a stray thought overtook him.

'Are they blood fanatics?' He wondered. He didn't feel so safe all of a sudden. He wondered if he should even reveal his name to the house elf.

The lanterns on the walls lit up as they passed, before flickering out once they had moved past.

"Mistress has never brought anyone over before." Then newly introduced Quill interrupted his ponderings.

"You must be very close." It finished. Harry opened his mouth to reply, before thinking over his reply. Was he really the first one to ever come over?

"Have no relatives ever come over?" He questioned the house elf. It stared back up at him.

"No, no family had ever come looking." Quill said gravelly.

It was almost sad that he was the first one to venture into the hose other than Elena since…..

'Since her parents died.' Harry thought. 'So that was why Elena was so….tense."

Arriving at a room, Harry opened the door and looked in. There was a large bed, probably king sized located on one side. The large glass window showed a bleak sky and thrashing winds.

"What time is it?" He asked, wondering if it was morning or night.

"It be just past six." Quill said. Ah, so there as a five-hour time change since they had left at eleven in the morning from Durmstrang.

That meant that they were somewhere is eastern Europe. Based on the snowfall, probably in one of the more northern countries.

"I'll leave you now." Quill spoke, about the pop away. Before leaving though, it looked like it had a question it needed answered.

"What is your name, sir?" It asked.

Harry imagined a sweat drop fell from his forehead. Should he tell the truth or lie? And if he did lie then what should he say? Taking a small breath, Harry decided to take his chances being honest.

"Harry Potter." He replied. The elf gave no response, it simply nodded its head and then disappeared with a 'pop'.

Looking around his massive room again, Harry glanced at the window. The first rays of the sun were beginning to dent the darkness.

Harry set his trunk down in the center of the room and looked around. Going into a side closet, Harry was pleasantly surprised to see a giant bathroom attached to his room.

The orphanage had a communal bathroom on each floor, one for each gender. Durmstrang had bathrooms distributed around the place, although Harry heard that some students made their own bathrooms.

The marble tiles and excessive number of mirrors around the place made Harry feel very small. Closing the door, Harry continued to observe many aspects of the room that he had never seen before.

There was a massive room filled with wardrobes that was bigger than Harry's orphanage room. Although too cold to enjoy at the moment, there was a balcony visible on the other wide of the glass window.

The bed was a delight. It had five layers of sheets and were clearly made of some kind of expensive fabric. It was at this time that Harry wondered about the finance of his friend.

'Is she rich?' He thought. 'Like the Malfoys?'

Harry recalled Draco Malfoy form his first year at Hogwarts and tried comparing him with Elena. They were just so contrasting.

'If Elena's parents had survived, would they have turned her into another Draco Malfoy?' He continued musing to himself.

That was a terrifying thought, the idea that his kick ass friend could have been another ponce like Malfoy. Shaking his head, Harry was only marginally startled by the 'pop' that announced Quill's arrival.

"Mistress would like to see you in the dining hall.' The diminutive house elf said.

'They have a dining hall!' Harry thought. 'How rich are they?!'

Following the house elf around the place, Harry couldn't help but be somewhat awed the sheer size of the place. It was nearly the size of his entire orphanage.

'I wonder how big the yard is.' Harry thought dryly. Although he couldn't see more than a few feet out the window, Harry had no doubt that the yard was probably excessively large.

They walked back down the staircase, and deeper into the manor.

Harry was led into a large rectangular room, which he estimated had to be at least fifty feet by twenty feet give or take a few. Elena sat in one of the chairs, munching on something.

Upon seeing him approach, she stilled before setting down her utensils.

"I hope everything was acceptable?" She questioned. Harry couldn't help but feel like she was somewhat embarrassed by the opulence showed.

'And she knows that I live in an orphanage.' Elena probably thought that Harry believed she was showing off her wealth.

"Everything was wonderful, thank you." He replied. It was true, everything about his accommodations was wonderful, although Harry knew that he would miss it when he left.

"May I sit down?" He asked out of politeness. Following Elena's node, he took a seat across form her. The next fifteen minutes was spent with Elena detailing the place to him, from the obscured grounds to the study just down the hall.

She made sure he swore not to enter the third floor or the basements. Being a old and definitively pureblood house, Harry had a decent idea of what he would find.

"Ow, there's one more place I need to show you." She said with a smirk. Raising an eyebrow, Harry followed her as they left the dining hall (glorified dining room) and walked down a way.

Coming to a stop in front of a large room, Elena put on a small smirk and stood with her back to the door.

"Be careful not to faint." She spoke, amusement in her voice. She then opened the doors and walked in.

"Merlin's beard!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **Galleon is seventeen pounds here. I went back and changed it from earlier chapters.**

 **I am losing momentum on this story, I'll probably do one more and than go back to the drawing board for a while.**

 **I am thinking about starting up a bioshock fanfic, well see how that goes.**

* * *

Books. Thousands upon thousands of books.

The sight nearly overwhelmed him. It was like a personal library.

Sinking to his knees, Harry almost let out a tear at the sight of all the knowledge that lay before him. Only moral decency prevents him from simply running forward and diving into the nearest book.

Hearing a light giggle from his side, Harry turned and saw Elena laughing at him. Apparently, she was finding his reaction to be quite amusing.

'Well, she was raised near all this.' He mused. 'It would only seem natural to her I guess.'

"May I ask for permission to browse your library for reading material?" He phrased it as politely as possible to try and increase his chances.

She knew what his angle was though, and the look she gave left Harry somewhat embarrassed.

"I don't know." Elena started. "These are my family books after all."

'Don't you dare guilt me!' Harry thought back. While it was entirely true, and this was her family library, she had also taken it upon herself to show Harry the place. And she knew what his reaction would be.

"What do you want?" He gave in, the desire for knowledge too overwhelming for his mortal mind to handle. Elena smirked.

"What I want." She pauses, probably for dramatic suspense. "Is for you to come back during the summer."

'Eh?' He thought. He was sure he misheard. What had happened over the last couple of weeks to change Elena from a generally hostile person into someone who was inviting him over to her house?

No doubt some of it was due to loneliness, and it was possible she was taking solace from Harry also being an orphan.

Harry actually was kind of curious who suffered more from their lack of parents. He assumed it was Elena, but now that he thought of it maybe he himself had been emotionally stunted due to his isolation. That might just be as bad as being angry all the time, just in its own way.

Returning his focus to Elena who was still waiting for his answer, Harry decided there could be no harm. Assuming of course, that nothing terrible happened to him during this stay.

"Sure." He replied. She nodded, and the two left the library. Harry stared at the collection of books as the door closed behind them.

Turning forward, Elena showed him around the house, barring the off-limits areas.

Harry had to admit after seeing the pool, that he was the slightest bit jealous. This great luxury that Elena was entitled to, was no doubt a small part of the vast fortune she had.

After hearing about what kind of money Olgien Dresgoth family had, Harry guessed it wasn't too unlikely that Elena was in a similar situation.

It was light out now. The sun was just rising in its entirety up over the horizon. The stars were no longer visibly, and they had entered into civil twilight.

Questioning Elena about her yard proved difficult, as she still didn't really want to go out into the cold. That was one thing Harry noticed about Elena, she liked the summer and the warmth. She hated the cold.

He could see a bit farther out the windows they passed, but still not more than twenty feet due to the heavy snow.

"Maybe once the snow clears." She finally relented, and Harry accepted that was the best he was going to get.

The two settled down in what appeared to be a comfy study area. There were several cushioned chairs around the room and once the fireplace was lit by Elena, the whole room gave off a warm feeling.

Before the two could start talking after sitting down, they both heard a furious scratching from the window.

Glancing over, Harry saw a white form outside the window. It almost looked like a…

'Ow Merlin no!' Harry freaked, upon seeing Hedwig pecking at the window. 'I forgot to tell her where I was going!'

Rushing over, Harry tried to open the window, but realized it was locked. Turning to look at Elena with a contrite expression.

Sighing, she waved her wand and the window unlocked. Hedwig hopped in and gave extremely scary glare in Harry's direction. Her eyes were tiny slits for Merlin's sake!

"I guess sorry doesn't cut it, huh?" He told her. Hedwig resolutely ignored her. Debating the best way to apologize to his owl with Elena there watching in amusement took some time.

Finally decided the best apology for now was the feed her treats while messages her neck, Harry did just that. Hedwig nipped his fingers the first few times, but eventually settled down into just glaring.

After ten minutes of slowly feeding and massaging his owl to compensate for his stupidity, Harry was finally able to sit down. But at Hedwig's insistence, He continued to massage her neck.

"May I ask what you know of the Dresgoth family?" He asked, after a few moments in silence.

This issue had been bugging him since the Dresgoth family gave him all that money. Harry debated telling Elena before break, but since he was going to her house anyway decided to tell her now.

"They are invested in the ICW." She answered. "They are apparently big in the charity department, but they somehow end up with more money after each fundraiser."

'Ah.' Harry pondered. So, they were redirecting funds from the charities? He wondered if they were directly taking money or if they were sending money to specific people and getting a 'thank you' gift in return.'

Clearing his head before he dove into another hour of musing as Victor called it, Harry looked back at Elena.

"there was an incident a couple of day ago." He began. "I received a letter from the head of their family, relating to the duel."

Realization dawned in Elena's eyes. He had told her about the duel and mentioned how he unfroze Olgien as a side comment. They had both overlooked the act then, Harry out of ignorance and Elena out of uncaring.

"Ow, did they send you a vast amount of money in compensation?" She asked.

Harry stared at her in confusion. He hadn't told her anything about the money, how did she know? As if in answer, she smirked and shook her head.

"This stuff happens all the time." She said, but then rethought her statement. "Well, not all the time but frequently enough."

Harry continued to stare in silence, prompting Elena to respond.

"Look, you didn't have to save the boy." She started. "But you did, and therefore the family is in your moral debt."

"I get that part, but why so much money?" Harry asked. Elena let out another sigh.

"Because anything less would look less than grateful." She continued. "It's really not that much money. My family has more."

That broke whatever reply Harry was formulating, and he turned to stare at her.

'She has more than twenty million galleons?!' He gasped internally. That meant that by muggle standards she had over a hundred million pounds!

Shaking his head before his thoughts cold consume him, Harry changed the subject.

"I plan to go to Gringotts in the summer to arrange for a new, higher security vault to be used for the gold." He told her.

Elena nodded. "Putting so money gold in a less than secured vault is a good way to lose money."

The rest of the day passed with Harry and Elena talking, and browsing books in the library. Elena told him that he could look at anything on the bottom two shelves, but anything above was cursed against outsiders.

As the hours progressed, Harry and Elena eventually had dinner. Curious if Elena cooked, he was surprised to learn that it was the house elf that did all the cooking.

'This is delicious!' He thought, as he munched on the pumpkin pastries they were having for desert.

After dinner, they returned once again to the study, where Elena brought out a surprise for Harry.

"Chess?" He asked her, confused by the board. He had never believed that Elena was a chess person.

"I've played against Quill some." She spoke, a hint of embarrassment present in her voice. "But never against a person."

Taking a seat across from Elena, Harry recalled what he knew about the game. He had played it once or twice on the single board they had at the orphanage. It took some time for him to scrounge up wat he remembered about the game.

Elena kicked his ass. It was almost embarrassing how many mistakes he made. Within the first five moves he had lost a bishop and three pawns.

After she inevitable took his king, Harry sighed in defeat. Who knew that Elena had the patience for such a game.

Before he could get up and suggest something else, Elena immediately demanded another game. About the refuse, Harry noticed the pure delight in her eyes.

'Is it the playing or the winning that she loves so much?' He thought. 'Or maybe a combination of both?'

* * *

After another defeat (which was slightly less embarrassing) they had a large dinner. Harry, being somewhat acclimated to Durmstrang's tough food policy, was somewhat overwhelmed by the vast selections available.

For desert they had cauldron cake and butterbeer ice cream. Harry actually got nauseous because of all the high sweet foods he was suddenly exposed to.

Taking a moment to let his stomach settle, Harry noticed Elena was perfectly fine with all the sugar.

"How is this not making you sick?" He asked, slightly incredulous. Elena raised her left eyebrow and scoffed.

"Considering I eat food like this every week, it isn't so surprising." That response left Harry baffled.

'How does she eat this every week!?' He thought. About to ask, Elena beat him to it.

"Quill sends me pastries every week." She commented, finishing her plate. "And I think you can tell how good a cook he is."

'You don't say.' Harry thought, bemused. That did explain how Elena could always have energy for fighting then, if she had this much sugar constantly.

Retiring to his guest room after saying goodbye, Harry was still somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer size of his room.

It was bigger than the entire boy's dormitory at Hogwarts, and the bathroom was about the size of his Durmstrang room.

'I thought my room at Durmstrang was actually quite big.' He reflected.

Sighing, Harry decided now was a good time to head to bed. The sun had long since set, as it was nearing the coldest day of the year.

Laying down under the covers it took Harry a bit of time to drift off, with the howling wings against the windows. The soft blankets helped.

Waking up, it took Harry several moments to recognize where he ways. Grasping the edge of the uppermost blanket, Harry was still awed by the fabric. While he never froze at the orphanage, the texture had always been rough on the blankets there.

Climbing out of bed, Harry checked the time with tempus. Realizing it was only five in the morning, he debated whether it would be better to just go back to bed and sleep another two hours.

But he was in a new environment, and his desire to go check out that library again was too tempting to ignore.

So, he put on his shoes and left his room. Walking down the hall with torches lighting up and fading as he passed, Harry navigated in the direction he vaguely recalled the library to be.

Eventually finding it in the gloom Harry opened the door and flinched at the creaking noise it made. He wasn't sneaking per say, but he didn't want to risk causing too much noise.

Walking into the room, Harry glanced around at the massive collection of books. There had to be at least hundreds of books placed around on many different shelves.

Heading to a shelf Harry randomly chose and opened a book. And immediately threw it to the ground when a face appeared on the pages.

'Maybe I should read the title before opening a book.' He thought, calming his racing heart.

Taking caution this time, Harry walked to another shelf and looked at the title. It read The Fundamentals of Fiendfyre. Deciding that maybe he shouldn't randomly browse, Harry almost screamed when a 'pop' disturbed the quiet.

"You need to stop doing that!" He told Quill, who simply stared back at him. After half a minute of Harry trying to prevent any further heart attacks the house elf deemed if fit to answer.

"Mistress sent me to get you for breakfast." He said simply.

'It's only like six in the morning.' Harry internally grumbled. But deciding it would be best to be courteous to his host, Harry nodded.

About to leave the library to head to the dining hall, Harry was surprised when Quill grabbed his arm and the two disappeared with another 'pop'.

'I guess I still have room to improve.' He thought, as he got up from where he landed.

"Busy morning?" A sarcastic voice called. Noticing Elena sitting at the table eating, Harry sat down across from her again.

It was at this moment that Harry had a question in mind for his host. Since the previous night, He had been curious about house elves.

"Are house elves common?" He said, initiating the conversation. Elena place her fork down from what looked like a marvelous treacle tart and prepared to answer.

"They aren't rare, per say." She began. "But they are somewhat expensive, and getting the right connections are almost as important as the money itself."

She was silent for a moment, before asking a question herself.

"Why? Do you want to purchase a house elf?" That question made Harry think. Did he want a house elf? The name implies that the owner has a house, which Harry quite clearly does not.

'I wonder how much a house costs anyway.' He mused, voicing his thoughts.

"I was wondering how much a house costs to purchase in the wizarding world?" He said, realizing too late that he ignored her previous question. Coughing to hide the slight embarrassment, Harry decided to answer her question first.

"I am just curious, considering I have never seen one before." Elena's curious expression dimmed somewhat, as she answered his next question.

"There is no set price for any house in the wizarding world." She started. "They can be as cheap as ten thousand galleons or can be up to ten million galleons. It all depends."

She resumed eating, while Harry helped himself to food that Quill had brought in while he was thinking.

Eating a fizzing whizzbee, Harry thought over what he had learned. The range in available properties, if Elena was to be believed was quite large. He assumed that most people bought properties near the bottom of the estimation, which the rich got the top.

"So." Harry began again. "If I wanted a decent sized house, how much would that cost me?"

Elena scoffed. "That all depends on your definition of 'decent'. How many protective enchantments do you want? What size yard? City or countryside? There are many possible options."

She paused, before continuing. "But there are probably quite decent houses on the market for around a hundred thousand gallons I'd say."

Harry was unsure about the accuracy of her statement. It wasn't because he believed that Elena would mislead him, but she was obviously raised with very high standards.

Going back to he previous topic about house elves, Harry wondered if he could possibly buy one in the future.

"How much does it cost to purchase a house elf?" He asked Elena. She thought for a moment.

"Well, it depends of course from case to case." She said. "But I would say somewhere around thirty to forty thousand galleons per elf."

'No wonder I haven't heard of them too much.' Harry thought. If Elena was to be believed, then there were hoses on the market for the price of a single house elf.

Shaking his head, Harry decided that he wouldn't spend any of his recently given money on house elves, at least for now.

Putting all this talk of finance out of the way, Harry spent the rest of the day with Elena. They were either debating some theory or another, or Elena was explaining different aspects of the house.

Harry noticed that as the day progressed Elena seemed to be a completely different person. Gone was the usually sullen and sometimes even hostile witch, in her place someone who took pride in the house she lived in.

'She probably latched onto it for comfort.' He thought. It could be true, that in the absence of parents Elena developed a love of the house in their place.

Elena continued to beat Harry in chess, so much that Harry began to have a suppressed respect for Ron Weasley. He hadn't thought about the red headed boy much, or at all.

But now that he was getting kicked in chess it sparked a memory, of Hermione telling Ron and Neville to study more while Ron beat Neville (yet again) at chess. The memory almost brought a smile to Harry's face.

He now knew what it was like to be in Neville's shoes. He also now could see the joy one could take from winning, judging by the way Elena would smile at every victory she had.

The following days progressed in a very similar matter. Harry would get up and proceed to breakfast, and after eating would have a day spent with either talking, studying, or exploring. Lunch interrupted the day, and the evening meal left Harry somewhat envious.

There was a small incident on the second to last day, however.

Harry had been in the library and had forgotten about the rule regarding which books he could take. Reaching up to the third shelf above him, Harry was in for a shock (literally).

Touching the edge of the book, Harry suddenly felt himself get blasted by something powerful, and the last thing he saw before fainting was a blue beam.

Waking up, Harry found himself in the study again. He didn't have much time to think, as the moment he started to cough Elena stormed in and looked downright furious.

"I told you not to do it!" She started. "But did you listen? NOOOOOO."

Harry was a bit miffed by her reaction, before recalling what had just happened. It wasn't like he did anything bad, he just reached up and grabbed….

'Ow, well this is awkward.' He thought, finally recalling the rule of not taking any books higher than two shelves up. Before Elena could raise yet another rant, Harry raised his hands in surrender.

"It was an honest mistake." He began, trying to explain. "I had just forgotten about your rule…"

Harry realized just too late that saying he forgot what Elena told him not to do was not the best excuse he could give. Elena's expression agreed.

"Well, in that case." She started, faux happy tone in place. "Then I will give you a new rule that you can't possibly forget. No library access at all!"

'NOOOOOOOO.' Harry slumped down again in his chair. That was not something he had expected, although in retrospect it would be a fitting punishment.

Looking up to see Elena's triumphant expression, Harry felt the tiniest bit annoyed but shoved that feeling to the side for the moment.

"Does this mean this case is closed?" He asked, eliciting an unamused expression from Elena who proceeded to roll her eyes.

"I have instructed Quill to knock you into a wall should you try and enter the library again." She knew him so well.

"Also." She continued, giving him the dirty eye. "Since it's the last day and you so clearly don't have a respect for house rules, we are going for a trip."

'Huh?' Harry thought, but nodded his head anyway. He was already in the deep zone anyway.

"Where are we going?" He asked her. Walking out of the room, Harry took a moment to gather his strength (for some reason he felt very shocked).

"What happened to be when I touched that book?" He asked Elena, considering that a more important question.

"You got struck by a bolt of lightning." That had not been the answer he was expecting. Although it was freaky in a cool sort of way that he was hit by a lightning bolt.

"Still a bit bummed about losing access to the library, Harry followed Elena into the main foyer.

"Where are we going?" He asked again, now that the matter of what happened to him was known. Rolling her eyes, Elena looked like she wanted to ignore his question, but answered anyway.

"North of Glasgow." She replied. That silenced Harry. What in the name of Merlin could Elena possibly want to do there?

About to ask just that question, Harry was unable to as Quill took the moment to arrive with his customary 'pop'.

Handing Elena what appeared to be a silver chain similar to the one that took the two here, Harry believed it was another portkey. Noticing Quill slip Elena another chain, Harry was curious, why would they need two?

Quill disappeared with another 'pop' leaving just Harry and Elena.

"Well." She said. "What are you waiting for, take hold." Complying, Harry took the end of one of the sliver chains and with a muttered word they were gone.

* * *

Arriving much better than his trip to Elena's manor, Harry was confident that he would have this whole portkey thing down by the end of next year.

His thought was interrupted by a just of wind hitting him. It wasn't especially brutal, but Harry made sure to reapply his warming charms, just in case.

There was snow covering the ground here too, but unlike Elena's manor and Durmstrang during the winter there was relatively less here. Just a few inches covering the ground, and it all was light snow.

Turning and seeing Elena walking off, Harry made pace through the snow. The two walked for a time, before Harry decided to ask the question on his mind.

"What are we doing here?" He asked. Elena didn't seem to hear him or at least pretended not to as she continued to walk forward silently.

Getting somewhat irked about why they were marching around in upper Britain during the winter, Harry was about to ask the question again when they came up to a house.

It was a decent size house. Having two stories, it was also quite long. Not quite as long as Elena's manor, but still decent sized from what he could tell.

"Is this house also owned by you?" Harry asked Elena. She scoffed, the first reaction she had made so far since they left.

"Just let me do the talking." She said, as the two made their way to the front door. Upon their approach, the door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped out.

"Ah, Ms. Blackwell." He spoke with enthusiasm. "Is this the buyer?"

'Buyer?' Harry thought, about to voice his confusion. A small jab from Elena silenced him though, and he nodded on reflex.

"Good, good." The man said. "I am Theodore Algus, current owner of this estate."

Still confused about what he was doing here, and why he was the 'buyer', Harry didn't reply. The now identified Theodore continued on regardless.

"Now, your price has been by far the most generous." He continued. "Therefore, you get an exclusive tour around the premises."

'Is Elena trying to get me to buy this house?' Harry thought, as Theodore continued talking. They journeyed around the premise, as the apparent owner of the property gave highlights about the place.

"The house is fitted with all the best charms."

"No muggles for at least eight miles in every direction."

"Four bedrooms, and three bathrooms around the premises, more can be added for further cost of course."

"Active floo network in the entrance room."

"This sale also come with the opportunity to buy a house elf."

That last one drew Harry to a pause. Theodore, noticing him stopping, turned with a raised eyebrow.

"How much would the house elf cost?" He asked. Theodore left out a large smile and began to explain.

"Well, this particular individual I have in mind comes from an exclusive dealer." He went on. "I'd say a price of about twenty-five thousand galleons would suffice."

'That's over four hundred thousand pounds.' Harry internally grumbled but kept silent for now.

The tour continued, until at last they had journeyed around the now covered grounds and made their way back to the entrance.

"Well, what do you think?" Theodore asked. Not wanting to accept or deny until he knew about what was really going on here, Harry decided to do what he did best and bluff.

"It is of course a good offer." Harry began. "But it is a lot of money, I would like some time to think it over."

When "a lot of money" was mentioned, Theodore got a worried look on his face for a moment, before it calmed somewhat when he finished.

"I am willing to negotiate of course." He started. "Seventy thousand galleons is a lot of money. But I believe that is a fair price based off the quality of the place."

'It is a nice estate.' Harry thought. That was actually a very good price for what he had seen. But then, remembering that seventy thousand gallons was over a million pounds, maybe it wasn't so surprising.

Recalling the nice rooms, comfy atmosphere, and the fairly large ground, Harry believed they were quite decent positives. However, He knew that money did not grow on trees and therefore he needed time to think it over.

Looking at Theodore with a polite smile, Harry began. "It is a good piece of real estate. However, due to the large price I will need sufficient time to think it over."

Theodore nodded his head. "Of course, it is only natural for you to think it over before making the final decision." His smile became somewhat strained. "How long do you think it will take before you come to a decision."

Harry turned and stared out of a window while taking a moment to think about his reply. How long would it take him? He had a feeling this offer wouldn't last forever, and Elena clearly used some of the pureblood name to get this meeting.

Deciding to reply before the summer came, Harry turned back to Theodore.

"I believe." Harry began. "That I will come to a final decision in no more than two months."

Theodore nodded his head, and although he tried to hide it his expression showed that he was somewhat relieved.

"Of course, of course." He said, moving forward and taking Harry's hand in a firm handshake. "That is plenty of time to think it over."

Continuing, Theodore went on. "Should you have any questions, please feel free to send an owl anytime."

"May I ask a question?" Harry said, to which Theodore nodded. "May I have a copy of the exact numbers for what this will cost? The estate and any add-ons?"

"Of course." Theodore replied. "I will send them to you tomorrow post haste."

Harry shook the man's hand again, and with that Harry and Elena left the house. Elena had been quiet for the entire time. Now, Harry understood what the point of this trip was as they walked out.

It was Elena's way of trying to give him a home. She knew what it felt like to never have a home and took this opportunity to offer him a chance now that had been given a large sum of gold.

Despite the fact that she went behind his back to do this, Harry felt somewhat touched by her effort. That didn't mean that he didn't have many questions at hand.

"So, you think I should buy that property?" He asked Elena. Turning, she looked at him like he was an imbecile.

"Of course, you should buy it." She said. "Unless you like staying in a crowded, cramped orphanage for the next four or five years"

While she had made her opinion quite clear, there were still factors that had been left unanswered.

"I don't think the Ministry will allow me to simply live on my own." That was a concern, as Harry was still very much a minor, having just turned thirteen the previous summer.

"Yes, and that's what the house elf is for." Elena replied, rolling her eyes.

'What does that have to do with anything?' Harry thought. What would living without any guardians have to do with having a house elf?

"How do you think I was able to live on my own for nearly ten years?" She asked, after it became apparent that Harry wasn't getting it.

"…." Elena let out a small sigh.

"If a family has a house elf, then if the parents or previous guardians die the elf can take over the guardianship. As long as no one contests the claim." She began.

"I had no one who wanted to claim guardianship, and I dare say you are the same."

They walked in silence for several more minutes while Harry mulled over this new development. So, if he purchased the house elf, then he would be able to live on his own? That did sound good.

But the price tag continuously flashed across his vision, reminding him that if he went through with this then he would be paying well over the equivalent of a million pounds.

After several more minutes of walking, Harry vaguely recognized his spot as the place they had arrived.

"Well, this is where we part ways." She said, removing the second silver chain that Quill had given her that morning.

"This will take you back to the main gate of Durmstrang." She explained. "Tomorrow term resumes, so I thought you might want to get back early."

She handed it over for Harry. Reaching out to take it, Harry took hold of the chain. As he took it from Elena, he went with a gut instinct and gave her a light hug.

Unlike the other times when he hugged her, Elena didn't flinch or step back. She just kind of stood there, neither in discomfort or in happiness.

Taking a step back, Harry mumbled a short "Thank you" (which he felt didn't quite suffice for the situation). Elena mumbled something in response, which Harry never got to hear as he disappeared in another portkey.

* * *

Landing in a heap across the bridge that separated Durmstrang from the snow-covered forest beyond, Harry was a bit stunned at the course the day had taken.

'Elena tried to get me to buy a freaking house.' He thought. 'And a house elf to.'

'This must be her Christmas present.' He thought in amusement. It outranked what he had given her by far.

Harry had given Elena a bird that turned into a little glowing light that resembled a star. It had tested the capabilities of his transfiguration skills, but Elena's reaction had been priceless.

She hadn't broken down in tears or laughed but had simply let out a small sniffle. Unlike the other times however, this time wasn't in derision or mocking tone. It appeared like genuine happiness, and broke the façade that Elena usually wore, if only for a brief moment.

Shaking away his recollection, Harry walked into the school. Making his way to his room, Harry found himself in the bare room again.

The next day he would receive the information regarding the cost of the house, house elf, and all other miscellaneous costs.

Up to this point Harry hadn't really considered the value of the galleon. He knew of course what was too much or too little, but he never really had much comparison. Most of the foods were in sickles and knuts.

His wand costed galleons, but that was only natural as it was the witch or wizards most powerful item. He had never seen prices for anything truly valuable, other than his books (which he was sure were all overpriced).

He needed to know the numbers before he made any large term deals, but there simply wasn't much time to do such things.

Students weren't necessarily restricted from leaving during the school year, except the wards were raised significantly. This meant that anyone trying to portkey in without authorization would land about ten miles away.

This meant that any student who had urgent business they needed to attend to that didn't warrant special procedures had to march though the freezing cold. Even warming charms had their limits.

Making his way towards his room, Harry was momentarily confused as to where his trunk and Hedwig were. But that was soon remedied as he opened the door to his room and was greeted by the sight of both located within.

Letting Hedwig out of her cage so she could stretch her wings, Harry began preparing his room for the night. Getting to work, Harry decided to reapply his protection charms on the room and door.

While most students didn't technically arrive until the next morning, the wards were lowered for the duration of the holidays, so students could leave and return when they wished.

Before applying the transfiguration and charms to his bed, Harry noticed a letter perched on top. It was the copy of the daily prophet that he had missed over break.

Deciding he had nothing better to do other than to start reading, Harry applied the charms on his bed before sitting down and starting to read.

 **Doxies continue to terrorize!** That was the headlines? Really?

 **Bulgaria crushes opposition, set for world cup!** That caught Harry's attention. Reading the section in more detail, Harry was surprised that Bulgaria was able to smash France two hundred and eighty to seventy.

Reading about the surprising change to the previous year where Bulgaria was wiped cleanly, Harry sincerely hoped that Victor would make it to the world cup. It would cement him as the youngest seeker to ever win the cup, and that was no small title.

Continuing to read further into the paper, Harry browsed several other articles.

 **Escaped werewolves still at large!** That sounded nasty.

 **22 reasons why you should never approach a thestrals.** Not the highest priority on Harry's list.

 **Goblins raised t ax on vault upkeep!** That might actually prove problematic.

 **Vampire epidemic holding firm, will it grow stronger?** Now that caught Harry's attention again. Why in Merlin's name would they have a vampire epidemic listed on the third page?

That was one thing Harry noticed about magical Britain in particular, they were very materialistic. Most people seemed to be concerned with either gaining money or popularity.

While he didn't have the resources to really investigate into this further, Harry was interested in seeing just how big the disparity was between the rich and poor in the magical world.

He had questioned Elena over the break about the richest families. She said it was the Malfoys. That conversation left a stale taste in Harry's mouth.

'The possibility that they have hundreds of millions of galleons is mind boggling.' He thought. That would mean that by muggle standards the Malfoy family were billionaires.

'Multibillionaires.' He corrected himself. He need to change his train of thought or he might just do something stupid…..

Rereading the section on vampires, Harry was left a bit disturbed. The werewolf article talked about three werewolves that were still around Britain, but was that really more important than thousands of vampires lurking in Asia?

Harry though the matter over as he ate dinner and drifted off to sleep with thoughts of how messed up the media was.

Waking up, Harry recalled that this would be the day the students returned. Getting up, Harry made the trip down the breakfast. Elena would be arriving later in the day, and Victor was not going to return for another two days.

Apparently, his friend was signing tickets. Victor even sent pictures of himself surrounded by the new team mascots.

Veela, some sort of magical creatures. That first thing Harry observed was that they were very beautiful, even in the black and white moving pictures. Second, the men surrounding them seemed to have a hard time keep their eyes off the mascots.

It was to be expected that there would be some people who couldn't control themselves, but not _everyone_. This made Harry somewhat suspicious and when he gets suspicious, he gets ideas.

'Perhaps there is some mind magic going on here?' He thought. Recalling his last…..incident involving mental attacks, Harry didn't really want to create another issue here. But it was something he would question Victor on when he returned.

In other news, the letter from the seller Theodore returned. It gave exact numbers pertaining to the purchase, which Harry made sure to note down in a notebook.

 _Main property-60,000 galleons._

 _Protective charms- class 1)1,000 galleons, class 2) 2,000 galleons, class 3) 4,000 galleons._

 _House elf- 25,000 galleons._

 _Doxy insurance- 500 galleons_

 _Furnishing- 2,000 galleons_

Harry noticed that the original price of the house was only sixty thousand galleons, which had gone down from the seventy thousand that he had been told was the price on site.

However, he also was slightly shocked by the sheer number of miscellaneous other stuff he could also buy.

While still somewhat anxious about the sheer cost of the house, Harry decided that he would probably make the deal. He still had nearly two months to think it over, and he reasoned that he had no shortage of time.

On that note, Harry also decided to look into getting that extra vault set up. Somewhat anxious due to having just reading about the new tax set by the goblins, Harry wrote the letter.

 _To Whom it May Concern,_

 _I am writing to address the recent flow of galleons into my trust vault. I would like to talk about relocating the funds to a new, more secure vault. If you could please send me the available options pertaining to the different kinds of vaults and their relevant prices, I would be most obliged._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Harry Potter._

Somewhat uncertain about whether he broke any customs that goblins had, Harry sealed the letter and sent it off on Hedwig. Expecting the letter back sometime within the next three days, Harry turned to other matters.

Elena had returned later in the day and was back to acting in her usually manner. Classes were set to resume the next day, so Harry and Elena decided to have their little competition now.

Harry had practiced somewhat before break and had done some extra practicing in his room during the early mornings at Elena's manor. He was unsure about how ready Elena was.

Harry had brought with them two decent sized rocks, which would be perfect to test the effects of the spell on.

The two made their way to Harry's usually spot, just outside the view of Durmstrang. Deciding that he wanted to go second, Harry waved for Elena to go first. Placing one of the rocks on the gourn, Harry waited for Elena to cast the spell.

"Flagrante." She pronounced. The rock glowed slightly, before making no other noticeable reaction to her spell.

Elena turned to face him. "Well, go on and grab it." He stared back at her in baffled surprise.

"You don't expect me to actually touch that thing, do you?" He questioned her, half expecting her to say she did.

"Well how else are we supposed to test it then?" She retorted, crossing her arms.

Grumbling, Harry made to pick up the rock. Upon contact, he heard a slightly sizzling sound, followed by his yelp as he hastily dropped the rock. Looking down on his hand, Harry's eyes twitched.

It was all mostly red, with a few tiny spots turning white. Knowing that this would blister, Harry also knew that his didn't warrant a hospital visit. From what he heard, students who visited the hospital for what they didn't need were in for a nasty surprise.

Looking up and hearing Elena giggle, Harry kept in the snarl that threaten to escape his lips and remained passive.

"Well." He began, setting down the other rock. "Your turn now."

Slightly hoping she would get a case of instant karma, Harry got irked when he saw her put on two dark gloves. Reaching to take the rock, Elena picked it up and turned to face Harry.

She appeared to feel no pain, as Harry saw smoke rising from her gloves.

'Enchanted.' He thought, impressed despite himself. That was almost like cheating.

"You said it yourself." Elena smirked, as if reading his thoughts. "You don't expect me to actually touch the rock, do you?"

Having his facial features twitch for a slight moment, Harry took a deep breath to calm his emotions. But Elena's amusement was short lived, as the rock she was holding gin her hands suddenly burned through the gloves.

Elena's pain was quite evident as she hastily dropped the rock and shoved her hands into the nearest snowbank. After about ten seconds in which Elena cooled off her hands, she turned to face him.

"Tell nobody about this." She said. Letting out a amused chuckle despite the throbbing in his hand, Harry nodded.

The two made their way back to the castle, but before entering Elena turned to face him.

"For the record, I won." She said, before turning and walking back into the castle.

'Some people never change.' Harry thought. 'Or sometimes they change in unperceivable ways.'

Returning to his room, Harry prepared for the next day.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

* * *

Victor was starting to develop something of a fan club among the younger years at Durmstrang. It was actually kind of funny, seeing the normally stoic first and second years following this guy around like puppies sometimes.

Harry recalled one particular incident with fondness.

Victor and he had been studying in the library, as Victor needed help catching up on his work. Harry, supporting all things related to gaining knowledge agreed to help.

Three girls Harry vaguely recognized from being in some his lower classes walked up to the table. Completely ignoring Harry (to his irritation) they showed brilliant smiles at Victor.

"Hey Victor." She said. "We wanted to let you know that we were really big fans." The other two girls let out giggles.

Harry was staring at this, being completely ignored by both parties was the tiniest bit irritating. About to say something, Harry caught Victor shake his hand at him.

"Thank ladies." Victor put on his trademark quidditch smile, but it seemed fake this time. "Have you been to any of my games?"

The girls reply was a clear side step. "We were always there…..in heart."

'This is too cheesy.' Harry thought, watching this poorly thought out conversation take place. He wondered if there was any point behind the girl's conversation other than just terrible flirting.

What followed was five minutes of the girls giggling and Victor smiling, it was kinda sickening. About to do something stupid like fake vomit, Victor took that moment to wrap up the conversation.

"Well ladies." He said, smile still in place. "I got to get to studying, the professional teams only take the best."

With some extremely overdone "Goodbye!" The three departed from their corner, leaving just Harry and Victor.

Turning to look at his friend, Harry paused seeing Victor's face twitching slightly. His friend let out a sigh and turned to face Harry, without his smile present on his face.

"This happens at every single game now." He began. "I hoped it wouldn't happen any at Durmstrang, but I guess it was a stupid hope."

Recalling how some of the Hogwarts kids would have reacted, Harry tried to reassure his friend.

"Be glad it is mostly the younger students." He replied. "In Hogwarts everyone would be making your life hell."

Victor gave no reply, but the two resumed trying to study. Harry noticed that Victor had pointed his wand to the edge of the table and muttered something.

When the next gaggle of obvious quidditch fans came looking for Victor probably, they walked straight past.

'Some kind of deterrent ward?" Harry thought. So, Victor had learned that from a player? The coach? About to ask the question on his mind, Victor beat him to it.

"A see me not ward." He answered the unspoken question. "Should have done it the moment we sat down, great time saver."

Nodding, Harry debated whether he should ask Victor to teach him. It was pretty advanced magic, stuff that Harry hadn't really gotten to. It wasn't a matter of capabilities, but there were more important or interesting things to learn.

Deciding his friend was dealing with enough, Harry resolved to ask him about the spell at a later time. Resuming their discussion about the fundamental principles of advanced transfiguration, Harry put the encounter to the side of his head.

* * *

Walking into the dark arts class, Harry almost wished he hadn't. Two students were glaring at each other, and one student had several friends standing around him.

Making his way to his desk to avoid attracting attention from the obviously hostile encounter going on, Harry was sadly unable to still inconspicuous.

One of the students (the one that wasn't surrounded by friends) moved away from the group and sat down next to him.

Having spent the majority of this year and the previous one sitting next to Calen Rosier, Harry was distinctly uncomfortable sitting next to this new unknown who had apparently earned some enemies.

'And apparently had some anger issues.' Harry thought, noticing that the kid was breathing hard and was obviously agitated about something. Deciding to leave the matter to rest unless they got him involved, Harry steadfast ignored the boy.

Professor Ashen walked in and the class began. The class was typical, being taught a specific topic relating to the dark arts. The students would then be given several examples of particular spells that fell into that topic.

Once or twice very month they had a practical class, where they would cast the spells they learned during that month. It wasn't much during Harry's first year, but now after the midpoint of their second year the class would start dueling.

Harry wasn't very concerned. While he wasn't the most advanced in terms of curses, he believed that he could use enough creative charms to outdo most of his fellow dark arts classmates.

Leaving the class after the teacher told them they would be having a series of duels which would contribute to their final grade, Harry was stopped by his tablemate.

He had been quiet for most of the class, sending the occasional glance towards the student Harry assumed had made some slight against him.

"Could you spare a moment?" The kid asked politely. Not really wanting to comply, but also not having the particular spite to reject his request Harry nodded.

Following him away from the class, Harry found himself in another dorm section.

"Well." The boy said. "Come in." Harry stared at him. There was no way he was walking into this kids' room, not without spending half an hour checking it for spells.

"You have anything to tell me." Harry replied. "You can tell me here."

Making sure he had his wand in easy reach, Harry prepared for the kids' response. He let out a deep sigh and turned to face Harry.

"I need your help." He said. "For the dueling later in the year."

'Ugh,' Harry thought. "First, who are you?"

"My name is Acton Fyderson." The now identified Acton replied. "And I need you to teach me how to beat up those kids like you beat up Olgien."

'I see word of that has spread.' Harry mused. He hadn't really expected others to find out about it, but apparently someone put two and two together after they saw both Harry and Olgien leave together and return separately (and in different conditions.

Turning his attention back to Acton, Harry internally debated whether he should get involved. While the last fight he got in ended up with him receiving tons of money, who knew when his luck would end.

He didn't know which worried him more if he did choose to help the kid, Acton winning and doing something that both of them would regret or Acton losing and having himself be responsible.

"Why do you want to win so badly?" Harry began. "Losing is what teaches us humility, it's necessary in order to build oneself."

'A bit hypocritical.' Harry thought to himself, recalling the few times he himself had been truly beaten.

"Because I'm afraid they will kill me!" Acton shouted, unaware of Harry's internally thinking. "They want to steal what's left of my family fortune. I know it!"

'That escalated quickly.' Harry thought, staring with slightly wide eyes at the apparently bad-tempered kid.

So, this was about politics then? Was this a valid fear for his life, or just an excuse to get some help? Harry needed more information.

"I won't do this for free." He stated. "You need to give me something to compensate for any help I might be willing to give."

Acton stared at him before starting to pace around the hallway. Harry glanced around the corner to make sure nobody was about to interrupt them.

Turning back towards Acton who had finally composed himself, Harry hoped his offer would be good.

"I don't have much to offer now….." Acton began. "But when I become of age, then I will have much to offer."

"Promises of future gain don't sound very promising to me." Harry replied with a frown. There was no guarantee that Acton would honor his side of the agreement after they graduated Durmstrang.

And if Harry were to insist on his fulfillment of their agreement, it was a possibility that Acton would hide behind the ministry. That happened a lot apparently.

Acton looked like he was becoming somewhat irate. Was he from old money? Did he expect his name or word to mean anything to Harry?

"Is there anything you can offer me now?" Harry asked. "Anything at all?"

Acton had a severe twitch rip through his face, it was actually kind of disturbing. Seeing him walk into his room, Harry backed against one wall and took hold of his wand again. It never hurt to be careful.

Just under five minutes later, Acton walks out with something wrapped in a blanket. Curious about what could be underneath, Harry nevertheless stayed cautious.

"If you show me how to fight like you, then I will give you this." Acton said, unwrapping the blanket.

Harry stared wide eyes at the object in the boy's hand. He would trade such a priceless object for something as simple as training help?

Harry was staring at a pensieve. An item that only belonged to the rich and the advanced, such an item numbered only less than two hundred in the world.

'How the hell did this kid get one!?' Harry thought. 'And why would his parents let him use such a valuable item for a tradeoff?!'

Acting fast before Acton noticed his shock, Harry desperately cleared his expression.

"That seems like an acceptable offer." Harry replied. "I will be free in two days, meet me in the main entrance to the school, and I will begin teaching you."

Walking away before Acton could say anything else, Harry wondered what he got himself into. Once out of view, Harry had to keep himself from skipping.

Very few people actually owned a pensieve, and those that did kept firm hold of them. They weren't necessary a powerful item or anything, but they were a great enchanted item.

Heading back to his dorm, Harry couldn't help but marvel at his good fortune, even if a little voice in the back of his head questioned why the boy had such an item in the first place.

"So, I hear your getting in trouble again." Victor told him over dinner. Apparently news had spread fast.

"So I would seem." Harry replied, seeing no reason to elaborate. He really wanted to get his hands on that pensieve.

"Well, I guess it's better you did this now." Victor sighed. "It's much more dangerous in the upper years for people to duel each other."

"It'll be fine." Harry replied. "It's not like I'll be the one doing any fighting, it will just be offering some advice and basic training."

"I thought you were best in charms, anyway?" Victor asked. "Why are you teaching a kid to duel?"

"Because I don't need to be a master of the dark arts to beat someone." Harry retorted. "There are many ways to win a fight, all I have to do is use effective use of my surroundings."

Victor stared at him for a moment, before going back to his meal. His next game was in a week, and he was being ridden into the ground with training. Harry felt it was too harsh, even if the reward was definitely great.

For the first time in many decades, Bulgaria actually had a chance of making it to and winning the world cup. Their fans were going crazy apparently.

It was so crazy from what little Harry heard from around the school and from the papers that the Bulgarian ministry was actually having trouble keeping the stature of secrecy.

Fans were running around the major muggle cities and were being…..indiscreet, to say the least. One particular incident which amused Harry to no end was when a wizard walked into a muggle pub and proclaimed that the Bulgarians were 'Merlin's chosen.'

Luckily there was no major breach, but it was somewhat disconcerting that people could lose their higher thinking over something like quidditch.

Turning his attention back to Victor, Harry debated whether asking for any advice on how to teach his new 'charge'. Deciding that there was nothing wrong with asking, Harry debated how to phrase his first question.

"Any advice on how I should teach the kid?" Harry asked, going with a straight forward approach.

Victor (for the first time in Harry's memory) gave him half decent dueling advice.

"Make sure that you teach the kid the right way to win." Victor said cryptically. "And make sure that he knows how to properly lose. "

'That was either the best or worst advice I had ever heard.' Harry thought.

With the holidays falling behind him, Harry decided to start preparing for the finals.

He (and the rest of the students) had been told just two days ago about what the format of each their finals would be.

Harry had considered the previous year to be somewhat of a fluke. Yes, he did perform well but it had been his first year there and he had been somewhat unprepared.

Now, with him having no excuse to perform badly, Harry wanted to make sure this his final grades reflected his capabilities.

What he was most concerned about was his charms final. Unlike the previous year where Harry only had to list and perform some basic charms, this year he would need to create his own charms.

It didn't have to be a brand-new spell or something that blew the teachers mind, but it needed to be unique. Harry was scratching his head at that, wondering what angle he could take.

In other news, Harry's transfiguration final was approaching as well. That class had been going well, with Harry learning about turning inanimate objects in animate objects. He believed that he would be able to think of something before the final hit.

The dark arts final was apparently a surprise. Harry had been somewhat concerned when professor Ashen had stated that they would not be informed about the final until the day of the examination. This somewhat irked Harry, as he had always been a student that liked to prepare well in advance.

The procrastinating would give him bad nights come finals. Luckily, Harry's potions final would be probably his easiest final.

Harry only had to brew a potion of his choice, same as the previous year. Although he knew that the standards would be raised, Harry was unconcerned. He believed that for brewing known potions, all one had to do was follow the instructions.

'Well, maybe there's more to it than that." He thought, recalling one particular example. Harry still had his Hogwarts books, and even though he was no longer a student he still occasionally browsed the content.

To his surprise, he noticed that the Hogwarts potions and Durmstrang potions had different formulas even for the same potions. Harry had decided to ask professor Mendon one day after class.

"Professor." He began, just as the last students left. "May I ask a question?"

Professor Mendon turned from examining the potion she had been grading, and with a flick it disappeared.

"Yes Mr. Potter." She said, moving to sit down behind her desk. "What is the problem?"

"Well, I just noticed an oddity." He began. "I noticed that the Durmstrang and Hogwarts potion recipes are different for the same potion."

"I was wondering why?" Harry finished. It couldn't have possibly been an error, but it seemed so strange that different schools would have such different recipes for potions.

"There is a very simply answer." Professor Mendon answered. "The answer is cost."

'Huh?' Harry thought, wishing she would elaborate. Upon seeing his unamused re action, professor Mendon almost smiled.

"The materials and methods we use at Durmstrang produce better quality potions." She continued. "But the positives are far outweighed by the extra cost of producing the potions."

"Even if the potion had better results, it doesn't matter if it costs four time as much and less than half the people can afford it." She finished.

"But then why do we learn such methods if they are inefficient?" Harry asked. What was the point of learning if everyone else learned a different way?

"Because." Mendon explained. "Most of the graduates here that go into potions do not go into wide scale potion productions."

"They go into highly specialized, individualistic potion creation." She said. "There are many high vale potions that require perfect quality, and these are the areas Durmstrang potions fall into."

'That actually makes sense.' Harry thought. It what his potions teacher said was true, then it would certainly make sense to teach the majority of students how to make potions efficiently, while a few learned how to make them well.

It actually kind of reminded Harry of colleges versus high schools in the muggle world. Almost everyone went to high school, but not nearly as many went to a higher education. It simply wasn't possible for everyone to go to college.

Thanking his potions teacher, Harry turned and left the class. Deciding to stop reading the Hogwarts book, in order to avoid any future mistakes was a top thought in his mind as he went to his dorm.

* * *

Harry had arrived outside the main entrance half an hour earlier than he told Acton Fyderson to meet him. While waiting, he recalled what he knew about the kid's family from what he had learned over the last few days.

The Fydersons were a very aggressive family. This helped them during ages past, as well as under the rise of several notable dark lords, but now it was a hindrance.

Modern magical society simply didn't tolerate those who were simply aggressive for the sake of being aggressive. They weren't even necessarily pure blood bigots (although it was more than likely) because they attached everyone regardless of blood.

They were also quite possibly clinically insane, although nobody would ever admit to such a thing. From what Harry knew, they had very quirky behavior and made many choices and decisions that didn't make sense.

It did somewhat explain how Acton came to be in possession of the pensieve, as apparently, he had been given it as a 'birthright'. Sounded more like stupidity to Harry.

From what Harry was able to learn, this led to the family losing a large portion of their money in legal compensation for attacks they committed. This meant they were losing their image and needed something to return them to their 'golden days'.

'Golden age my ass.' Harry thought. They probably just loved torturing and killing people several centuries ago without consequence.

Shaking his negative emotions away as the form of Acton rounded the corner, Harry put on a neutral expression.

"I hope your not wasting my time." Acton said. Harry secretly was thinking the same thing.

"I know my capabilities, do you?" He asked back. Acton looked more than a bit irked and appeared to go for his wand.

"Do you really want me as your enemy?" Harry asked. He had seen the boy in a fight two days ago and knew that his own reaction time was better in terms of drawing a wand.

Acton grudgingly put his wand down, as Harry started walking out of the castle.

"Well, come on." He told Action, not waiting for a response. Walking out into the cold, Harry debated the best way to teach Acton as they walked through the snow.

Hearing Acton shiver from behind, Harry turned and stared at him.

"Why haven't you cast a warming charm?" He asked. Acton simply stared at him before shaking his head.

'Does he not know how to cast one?' Harry thought. That was one of the first spells he had learned after arriving here, it was almost essentially for anyone who wanted to go out and practice.

Sighing, Harry cast the spell on the boy and then turned and continued walking. Walking a bit to the right of his usually practice area, Harry came up a strategy.

He had the small suspicion that Acton would not be a good defender, and also believed that Acton would not have the creative capabilities o use his surroundings effectively.

So instead, Harry would teach him the best ways to effectively nullify his opponents' attacks and then go in for the finish.

"To start" Harry began. "The most important thing any dueler who isn't the superior caster can do is to distract their opponent."

The point of this was the convince Acton that if he could hold off his opponent and then distract them, he could then go in for a final strike and win.

"What you need to do is to make your enemies focus on something else other than yourself." He continued. "It doesn't have to be for long, but even a second can lead to you having an advantage."

"Yes, but how do I distract them?" Acton asked, looking the tiniest bit frustrated.

"If you can, find out what your opponent fears." Harry answered. "Fear overrides the rational part of the mind and can make you enemies performing stupid mistakes.

Acton was silent for a moment. "But what if I can't find out their fears?"

"That's where to fun begins." And so, the beginning of over an hour of spell firing began. It was mostly Harry shooting at Acton and Acton trying to shield. It wasn't his strong spot.

While practicing Harry noticed that Acton was indeed fulfilling his family tradition of letting his anger take hold of him. If he was going to fight anyone with at least a minuscule amount of intelligence than he needed to come to grips with that temper.

Sighing, Harry watched as Acton went crashing into a snowbank again and walked over.

"Well, that tells me all that I need to know." Harry said. And he meant it; Acton was not in any position to be fighting anyone.

It wasn't even that he was a slow dueler. He was just sloppy and couldn't hold out in a long-term fight. As long as an opponent could properly shield then he had no chance of winning a fight.

"If you say I am terrible at dueling I'll curse you while you sleep." Harry heard the mumbled reply form within the snow.

Watching Acton climb out of the snow, Harry took a moment to come up with a game plan. Once figured out, Harry started walking back to the castle with Acton on his heals.

"The first thing we will work on," Harry started. "Ii working on your temper, that is the major thing keeper you from winning."

Seeing Acton start to go red in the face, Harry made sure to quickly continue.

"You are a fast dueler." He said, trying to take a subtler approach. "But if you learned to control your emotions you could be even better."

Harry continued to give basic advice on what he observed during their little practice, but it was all common knowledge. He himself wasn't an expert dueler, and Harry hoped it didn't show too much.

Once the two made it back to the main entrance and out of the cold, Harry turned to Acton.

"Let's meet back up here every week from now, to continue practicing." He said.

"So you can beat me back into the snow again?" Acton snarked. Apparently, he didn't take his repeated beat down too well.

"Would you rather me beat you in a duel, or one of those students you quarrel with beat you up?" Harry retorted. Acton really was quite an angry person.

Harry wondered if it was possible that Acton and his family were suffering from a mental health disease. He hadn't heard about any such condition int hem magical world, but who was he to say it wasn't impossible.

Parting ways with Acton, Harry made his way to his transfiguration class to learn more about organic versus inorganic transformations.

Harry's new vault had been set up, painfully. It had all started when he had received a reply from Gringotts, involving the letter he had sent earlier.

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _As the premiere bank in all of Europe, Gringotts would like to thank you for choosing us as your savings choice. We are of course willing to fulfill your request to transfer your funds to a more secured vault. Enclosed below are the basic options for a new vault, and their relevant costs._

Glancing down the list, Harry's eye twitched from all the potential options. There had to be at least thirty!

It took him the better part of two days to read and research all the options. Harry had never known that there were so many dragon species in the world. Deciding that he didn't need to see a giant fire breathing lizard every time he needed gold, Harry turned down that option.

Eventually, Harry narrowed down the options to two different choices. They were for the same vault, one of middle line in terms of security. It was apparently more secured than Harry's previous vault but didn't have the defenses that many of the lower vaults had.

But Harry was unwilling to spend two hundred thousand galleons on a vault, no matter how secure it was. He could definitely see the highlights of that choice if he had a hundred million galleons like some people 'cough Malfoys cough' but he unfortunately wasn't one of those people.

So, he was left with his current choice. The only thing left the decide was the finance plan. There were two possible options he could take. Harry could either pay four hundred galleons a year for twenty years or pay five thousand upfront.

Initially confused, Harry wondered why anyone would take the twenty-year plan, as you ended up paying three thousand more galleons then but thought better of it.

But he then realized that most people simply didn't have the upfront money for such a price. Recalling that five thousand galleons was about eighty-five thousand pounds, Harry almost let out a chuckle.

The benefit for the upfront payment was that he then had ownership of the vault for a century, which was kind of mind boggling when you think about it.

Sending the letter off on Hedwig, Harry considered the matter closed.

"Fine, you win." Harry said, sitting down next to Elena in the library. "I'll buy the house."

"I knew you'd make the right choice." She replied, not looking up from her book. Harry still wanted to know why she had arranged the meeting in the first place but had a pretty good idea himself and didn't want to risk Elena's wrath.

Sighing, Harry sat own and began writing out the letter he would send.

 _Dear Mr. Algus,_

 _I am writing to you in order to confirm my desire to purchase the for-sale house. I have been properly convinced of the high quality of the estate and wish to go through with the exchange. Furthermore, I would like to purchase the house elf, and the….._

Going on to specify which of the miscellaneous purchases he wanted along with the house, Harry winced at the price tag. If you combine the Gringotts vault along with the house and all other purchases, Harry was looking at a cost of about ninety-six and a half thousand galleons.

That price was mind boggling, and Harry blindingly aware of how much money he was dishing out here.

'Am I being stupid?' He thought, imagined all the gold he was wasting. He would be losing almost half of all of his gold, and that upset his stomach.

Sending the letter off on Hedwig once she had returned and rested, Harry was glad that his owl didn't require vacation days.

Victor continued to impress. His fourth game had come and gone, and he was once again the victor (pun intended). From what Harry read in the Daily Prophet, Bulgaria was starting to go slightly insane. Victor was even invited over to the minister's house, to congratulate him for his fourth win in the row.

Victor was probably wealthier than Harry himself. Actually, he was probably ten times wealthier from what Harry could find out from reading the paper (for all that was worth).

Recalling one particular moment in the dining hall, Harry almost let out a laugh. Remembering back, Harry remembered he event.

"Victor?" Harry had said. "That owls' heading straight for you."

Turning, both watched as an owl carrying a massive sack slowly lumbered towards Victor. Dropping the sack, the owl collapsed onto the table, breathing heavily.

Harry and Victor glanced at each other, before Victor slowly reached the bag. Casting his customary spells over the sack the check for malevolent magic, Victor began untying the sack once he found none.

Opening the bag, a song began to play.

"Victor the victor!"

"He's always a winner!"

"He doesn't know defeat!"

"And gets gold to eat!"

Ignoring the horrible rhythm, Harry watched as Victor opened to bag. Gold. Tons of gold, filling up the whole sack and it wasn't a small sack at that. Harry didn't even know how the owl carried the thing, charms perhaps?

The moment the full contents of the bag became apparent, Victor closed it and swiftly made his way out of the hall. Watching him go, Harry was somewhat surprised that someone would send his friend that much gold.

From his vague estimation there was at least a thousand galleons in that bag. The owl wasn't one that Harry saw before, so it probably wasn't anyone Victor knew. A rich fan perhaps?

Before leaving, Harry heard someone shout "What was in the bag, Potter?". Deciding it was best to plead ignorant, Harry did just that.

"I didn't get a good look." He said, lying easily. "Must have been from an eager fan."

Making his way from the hall before any more questions could be asked, Harry swiftly made his way towards Victors room.

Making sure to knock as he didn't want to get stuck to the ground again, Harry waited for a reply. It took nearly a minute, but eventually the "come in" sounded. Walking in, Harry noticed that the bag was nowhere to be seen.

"I hid it." Victor said, answering his unasked questioned.

Looking around the room confirmed Victors answer, as the gold was nowhere to be seen.

"Does this happen often?" Harry asked. He actually was curious if dropping off bags of gold on quidditch players was a common occurrence.

"Not as often as one might think." Victor replied. "The obsession will die down as time goes on."

Harry secretly doubted that, seeing as the what he was calling the 'Victor craze' had only become more intense with each game.

Pushing that thought to the side for the moment, Harry was about to open his mouth when Victor interrupted him.

"This is the life of star quidditch players." He said. "For the better or worse."

Harry was about to retort but stopped upon realizing something. This was the first time Victor had ever openly said that something about quidditch was bad.

He had implied before that there were factors that he didn't like but had never openly said that there were major drawbacks to quidditch.

'It's probably less about the quidditch ad more about the fame.' Harry thought. Initially Victor was just interested in playing the sport, but now he had been roped into all of this publicity and the fame was starting to depress him.

"Nothing worthwhile is without its drawbacks." Harry began after a short pause. "I have to ask you this though, is the quidditch worth it?"

Victor stood there for a moment, and his eyes were unfocused. Harry wondered if he would seriously answer no. There was a good chance that Victor couldn't back out after this, his current fame wouldn't let him.

"Yes." Victor finally replied. "I just wish that it wasn't so…..crazy."

Harry would have laughed if Victor wasn't so somber. His friend, talking about crazy? Did he forget what he was like for the entire last year and a half?

Recalling the time Victor came back in blue in the face and completely unaware of it, Harry almost let out a chuckle.

"Well, good luck with that." Harry said, turning and walking out. Before leaving, he turned and asked one last question.

"What are you going to do with the gold?"

The door slammed in his face.

* * *

Well, Harry knew one thing for certain. Elena could really wipe the floor with anyone less than decent. Acton Fyderson found that out the hard way during a practice.

Elena had decided to tag along, as she had just finished charms and had nothing better to do. Walking to the usual practice spot with Acton, Harry began the usually routine.

In Acton's defense, he was marginally improving (and he had also learned how to cast warming charms). But it apparently wasn't enough for Elena's pace, as after Acton once again was frozen to the ground, she got annoyed.

Before Harry could undo the spell, she had shot a purplish spell towards Acton. Initially seeing no effect, Harry was therefore surprise when Acton began to pule greenish guck from his mouth.

This wasn't a spell he was familiar with, but it looked quite brutal and didn't appear to stop anytime soon. Glancing to the side at Elena, she noticed and simply shrugged.

"Pain is the best motivator." She said. "Nothing teaches better."

Harry opened is mouth the argue but stopped when Acton mumbled something and pointed his wand at Elena. A pale blue spell shot towards her. Unconcerned Elena simply sidestepped.

"How do you expect him to beat anyone like this?" Elena scolded Harry.

Harry for one thing, was slightly peeved. Firstly, at Elena, for basically saying he was doing everything wrong. Then at Acton, for being a twat. And thirdly, at himself for not finding a way to push Acton past his current limits.

It had been nearly a month, and Acton was in no shape to face anyone with the miniscule improvement that he has made.

"Perhaps your right." Harry sighed, watching Acton still vomit up the slimy stuff. "Maybe should take a different approach."

Harry stood there and thought for a moment. How do you teach somewhat with an apparently incurable rage problem to be calm and focused? Is the pensieve really worth this.

'Yes.' Harry thought. Walking over to collapsed Acton who was hacking his lungs out on the ground, Harry glanced over at Elena silently asking her to reverse whatever spell she had cast.

Rolling her eyes, she complied. Acton finally stopped coughing, and after a minute dry heaving onto the ground slowly got to his feet.

Harry expected one of Acton's customary rants or something, but he just stood there looking sick. Harry could almost feel Elena's eyes nailing into his side saying, "I told you so".

Not really wanting to resort to this but really having no choice, Harry decided to try a new angle.

"Every time you fail" He began. "Elena will curse you."

That really got Acton's attention. Apparently, Elena had a scarier reputation than he had thought. Or maybe it was her family reputation?

Recalling the many fights Elena got in before he stepped in and got her to stop, Harry could believe that even though she was thirteen Elena still managed to scare people.

They began the 'duel' again, but this time Harry noticed something different. Acton still had that typical anger on him, but there was something else too. Wariness? Caution? Fear?

So, Acton's fear was being suppressed by his fear of getting cursed repeatedly. Harry felt a bit stupid for not realizing this sooner. If he had known, then he would have asked Elena to curse the dung out of Acton from the get-go.

After finishing, Harry let out a sad sigh. Acton had taken more caution due to fear than he had from all the previous lessons he had from Harry. It was quite disappointing, that fear could lead to such a dramatic change.

'Maybe it's the flight or fight response.' He thought, as the three started to walk back to the castle.

There was a chance that the abundant anger present in Acton came from a more evolved section of the brain. Harry remembered in primary school learning about evolution.

Apparently, the more primitive parts of the brain had the power to override the evolved parts. This could explain why Acton was so much more defensive and less hostile. His anger was literally being suppressed by his brain.

At least, that's what he knew from his muggle education. It might be different for wizards.

Walking back to the castle, Harry paused before turning to Elena.

"Could you come along from now on? For motivation?"

The following laugh was her response.

* * *

Harry's classes were progressing well.

In just a few months he was begin his finals. This was of course the most important part of the school year as it would determine where he would progress the next year.

His dark arts final was still 'technically' a secret, but Harry now knew for certain that they would be dueling in the class.

And to his unsurprise, Harry heard that Acton would be fighting those students who had pissed him off for some reason or another.

The two practices after Elena started joining them progressed better. Acton was acting now with fear instead of anger and while in Harry's eye this was not good, the results were undeniable.

Acton was thinking of how to block, and therefore he was a better defensive dueler for it. He could then retaliate once or twice during the fights, which was a good thing.

If Harry wasn't the kind of person to sulk over his oversights, then he might have actually gone out of his way and thanked Elena for the new method (even if it was a tad brutal).

His other classes were also progressing well. Harry already had plans for what his transfiguration project would be but was still working it out.

His need to invent a charm was dominating most of Harry's thoughts as time went on. What charm could he create that would satisfy his fifth-year charms class requirements?

Potions would simply be the same as the previous year. Harry was debating brewing something like Polyjuice, that would certainly get him a pass.

All in all, Harry was wrapping up the end of his academic year well, and just needed a strong final performance before he could relax.

Pertaining to his purchase of the house, Mr. Algus wrote back thanking him for the purchase, and was kind enough the deal with all the legal business of the purchase.

This included the process of transferring his guardianship over to the house elf he had just bought. Having not yet seen the creature, Harry was a bit uncertain about putting his responsibility onto another creature.

Harry didn't even know that he would have to follow a legal process to transfer his guardianship. He wondered what would have happened if he had just left. Probably a fine.

The transfer process would apparently take some time, so Harry would need to return to his orphanage for the first week of his summer. Then a ministry official would arrive to transport him to his new home.

Mr. Algus had sent him the names of all the legal officials involved (He really was a very good seller) and told Harry to ask any questions he had on the matter.

Harry was just glad that he wouldn't have to barrel his way through the entire Ministry of Magic again. That wasn't a pleasant memory.

Recalling his encounter with one Arthur Weasley, Harry twitched somewhat at the thought. He really had nothing personal against the man, but he kind of smelled. Just a little.

This letter was followed by one from the goblins, with a new audit of his vault post purchase. Harry cringed looking at the new numbers but took a deep breath and read the whole thing over.

Losing nearly a hundred thousand galleons, no matter how good a deal he had made left a knot in Harry's stomach.

On the note of the goblins, his new vault was now entirely ready and now held his full gold worth. He still didn't have access to his family vault, but he would when he reached seventeen.

If he could do well in his classes and get further accelerated in his courses, then Harry could possibly graduate by the end of his fifth year.

While it was technically possible for him to graduate after the next year, Harry had no intention of going out into the world at fourteen.

Resolving to stick around and learn as much as he could before leaving, Harry headed off to the library, to cram another hour of charms material into his head.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **I apologize if the content/grammar are not up to par, I am still getting back into the swing of writing.**

 **I'm thinking about posting every 2-3 weeks, to give enough space between chapters**

* * *

Harry would truly miss the orphanage.

He wouldn't miss the loud noises, and he certainly wouldn't mind getting some privacy in the countryside.

But there was a certain feeling of emptiness as Harry woke up for the last time in his bed at the orphanage. Climbing out of bed, Harry glanced out his bedroom window to the city. London was still waking up, with many of the first morning commuters moving around.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he walked downstairs, Harry's thoughts were interrupted by someone speaking.

"Harry." The matron spoke. "You nervous about your adoption?"

Oh right, that was the story that the ministry cooked up to explain Harry's departure. Of course, they couldn't just say Harry was being taken care of by a house elf, that would be ludicrous.

Nodding his head, Harry walked down alongside Ms. Chelsa, and the two set off towards to dining room or what passed for one anyway.

"Anyone else up yet?" Harry questioned, noticing the nearly empty dining room, barring a couple of younger kids.

That was something that Harry had noticed since his return less than one week ago. Most of the muggle kids in his age group who were usually up shortly after himself, were instead sleeping in through the morning.

He was baffled by why, because even after they woke up, they were tired and irate. He brought it up with Ms. Chelsa a few days ago, and she explained it to him in the few moments she could spare.

'Well, tried to explain.' Harry thought. Because in her rush to fix one problem or another, her explanation made little sense. Something about kids changing as they grow up.

'But then why am I not this tired and cranky all the time?' He thought, shaking his head as he grabbed some meager food and sat down at a near empty table.

Harry hadn't really made too many friends over his years here. Yes, he participated in activities or was dragged from one place to another by his year mates. But he never really took the initiative to really get out and socialize very much.

He was therefore startled when someone abruptly sat down across from him. Stranger yet, it was an older kid who Harry had never talked to. Charlie-at least that's what he thought the boy's name was, began picking at his own food with halfhearted effort.

"I hear your leaving later today." Charlie said. That was true, which meant Ms. Chelsa probably told someone and it spread around the orphanage.

Swallowing his food, Harry recalled what his official excuse was; that he was being sent to live with distant relatives in the countryside that have only recently been found.

Harry struggled to figure out how that would raise no red flags among the muggles but realized that there were probably compulsions and memory charms at play to cover the lie.

"Ya, found some relatives who live in the countryside who are willing to take me in." He responded.

Charlie nodded glumly and returned to picking at his food.

"I remember when I was your age." Charlie began. "I hoped that some family would come and get me."

'But no one ever did.' Was Harry's mental response. Saying nothing, Harry continued to eat. What was there to say about something like that? The best response was probably silence.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked. He actually didn't particularly care about what Charlie would do but wanted to avoid the glum atmosphere that was now surrounding Charlie and by extension himself.

"Try and find a job." Charlie slumped down.

"So, what's the problem?" Harry questioned. Now he was curious. From what Charlie said, he had no intention of going to university. He would have no student debt and didn't have anything weighing him back. So, what was bothering him?

Charlie shrugged, and went back to eating in quiet. It was several minutes later that Ms. Chelsa came behind and whispered something in Charlie's ear. His shoulders slumped, and he got up without a word and left with Ms. Chelsa following behind.

Harry didn't realize it yet, but that would be the last time he would every see Charlie; and the two had only ever spoken once.

* * *

Harry had packed all of his things and was standing by the front door waiting for the ministry official to arrive.

While waiting, Harry reflected on how his term had ended. He did pretty well in all of his courses, managing to level up a year in all classes with the exception of the dark arts.

Harry would now be going in sixth year charms, fifth year potions, and fourth year transfiguration.

Harry had been shocked when he was told that he was not going up a year in his dark arts class. He sighed heavily when he was then told he would move up two years.

Recalling the events that followed, Harry smiled. He had burst into Victor's room, all smug that he was getting to skip a year.

 _"Victor!" Harry yelled as he stormed into his friends' room._

 _He had actually remembered to disarm the trap to not fall face first into the ground again._

 _"What?" Victor asked, writing something down at his desk. His friend was doing that a lot now, with the final quidditch world cup approaching at the end of the summer._

 _If Victor were to win, he would go down in history as the youngest seeker ever to win a world cup. The pressure was massive._

 _"I got bumped up two years in dark arts!" He continued, with a massive grin on his face._

 _"I got bumped up three." Victor replied, not even glancing up. That wiped the smirk off of Harry's face._

 _About to call Victor out on his obviously false statement, Harry was forestalled from speaking as Victor waved his wand sending a piece of paper in his face._

 _"What's this?" He questioned, noticing the Bulgarian ministry seal on the envelope. Harry had seen the seal on several of Victor's letters, mostly recently._

 _"A message…well an order really." Victor responded, finally looking up from his work._

 _"Apparently the ministry doesn't want their champion quidditch star doing poorly in school." He finished, standing up and walking towards Harry._

 _'Karkaroff must be pissed.' Harry thought, imagining his headmaster's expression when he first got the letter._

 _"Were you bumped up in other classes too?" He began, wondering if Victor received this treatment in all his classes._

 _"Yep." Victor answered._

 _"…Huh." Harry responded ineloquently. Well, he shouldn't really be surprised, Victor was indeed quite popular now._

The loud bang on the front door brought Harry's attention back to the present. With Ms. Chelsa being busy cleaning up a younger kid's 'accident', Harry opened to door himself.

* * *

One of the last people Harry expected to see stood in front of him: Lucius Malfoy.

He hadn't really known just how famous the Malfoy's were when he left Hogwarts and pulled his little prank on Draco during the return trip.

Since arriving at Durmstrang, Harry had heard mention of the Malfoys, and their tendency to win.

Sincerely hoping that this had nothing to do with Draco Malfoy, Harry tried to suppress his surprise and thought up a response.

"Lord Malfoy." He began. "May I ask what you are doing here?"

Harry didn't really care about all of this 'lord' business, but the Malfoys were rich, so it was something he thought necessary.

He had met several 'lords' at Durmstrang, but capabilities were more of a qualifying factor than one's family name at Durmstrang.

It still mattered, but someone without a name who was excelling would gain more respect than someone from a pureblood line that had no skill.

However, Harry knew that it might be different in Britain. He missed that pitfall by leaving Hogwarts after his first year, so politics were never really in play. Malfoy was clearly someone who valued titles so Harry addressed him as a lord just to be safe.

Malfoy Senior didn't respond, and Harry noticed his eyes kept on glancing behind Harry around the orphanage foyer.

Was that disdain in the man's eyes? Ow, he didn't like the muggles, or those related to muggles, did he?

Did that mean that Malfoy didn't like him either? Was this a revenge attempt? Harry was getting more nervous as the second ticked by. When Malfoy senior finally opened his mouth to speak, Harry didn't know whether to be relieved or frightful.

"Mr. Potter." He began, voice even. "I have come to…..remove you from this place."

The ministry had sent Lucius Malfoy!? A notorious supporter of pure blood doctrine, to remove Harry from a muggle orphanage. Or was it that Malfoy was the one to decide to come and get him?

Harry stared for a moment, before clearing his throat and asking a question.

"I didn't expect someone as auspicious as you to come and get me." That was a polite inquiry into why Lucius Malfoy was strolling into a muggle orphanage.

"Collect your belongings." Lucius ignored the question, and already turned to leave. Harry stared, and turned to look one last time at his childhood home.

"Now." Lucius's voice called, already about to leave the property grounds. Harry almost made the mistake of levitating his suitcase, so used to doing so around other witches and wizards.

Remembering that he was not in the magical world, Harry grabbed his suitcase and departed through the front door.

Stopping outside the front door, Harry turned and reached to close the door. Stopping for only a moment before closing the door completely, Harry watched through the small crack in the door.

He never got around to saying goodbye to his peers and matron.

Closing the door for good, Harry turned and hurried down the stairs, luggage in tow. It wouldn't do to piss of Malfoy Senior after whatever Draco has told him over the years.

The two walked down the street a bit, Before Lucius stopped. His cheek twitched, before he held out his arm.

"Well?" He said, after Harry stared at the arm in bafflement. "We don't have all day."

Harry continued to stare at the arm. It was only just dawning on him that this could very well be a trap. He shook his head at the idea of being kidnapped for only pulling a prank years ago, but his unease did not subside.

Slowing reaching for the arm, Harry felt himself suddenly pulled through what felt like a tube. Recalling this as the feeling of apparating, Harry was only slightly uneasy when the world stopped spinning. He definitely preferred apparition to portkeys.

"If you feel the need to vomit." Lucius interrupted his thoughts. "Then don't do it on me."

Harry stared, before looking around at where they were. Contrary to his fears, there was no elaborate trap. Instead, they were in the ministry of magic.

Turning to see Lucius already disappearing into the crowd, Harry struggled against the surge to follow him. Finally catching up, Harry made sure to keep up with the man's bisque pace.

"We were all surprised when we heard about your purchase." Lucius began. "And more so when we heard about your decision to transfer your legal responsibility over to…..a house elf."

Hearing the disdain in the man's tone, Harry carefully thought over his response.

"It seemed a good idea at the time." He began. "I wanted more freedom away from prying eyes."

Seeing that he had Lucius's attention, Harry continued.

"I also wanted more freedom in practicing my magic." He spoke. "It was near impossible to conduct any magic on the orphanage grounds."

Harry hoped that he could use the man's anti muggle disposition as an answer to the question.

Lucius gave no indication whether he though good or bad of his answer, and the two continued down deeper into the ministry.

* * *

After a gut-wrenching ride through those annoying lifts, Harry followed Lucius through long winding corridors, past many offices and open spaces with witches and wizards preforming all sorts of tasks.

Harry saw one man waving his wand, and papers flying all around him going this way and that.

Shaking his head in bemusement, Harry continued after Lucius Malfoy, until they eventually arrived at a door marked: Senior Undersecretary.

Lucius knocked twice and proceeded in before he got a response. Following the man through the narrow doorway, Harry felt the need to vomit.

There was so much…. pink. On the walls, on the ceiling, on the floor, even the chairs had a horrible pink on them. Moving his attention away from the nausea inducing room, Harry turned to look at Malfoy.

And apparently Malfoy wasn't alone, because sitting in a chair beside him was a woman wearing a full pink outfit.

Harry had to give credit where credit was due, the woman had one of the most gut wrenchingly fake smiles he had ever seen in his life.

The woman made some sort of halfhearted grin, before opening her mouth to speak.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter." She said, her voice capable of shattering thin glass. "I am the senior undersecretary to the minister, Delores Umbridge."

'Senior undersecretary?' Harry thought. 'Are there multiple types of undersecretary?'

Pushing his musings to the side, Harry looked between Lucius and Umbridge.

"It's a pleasure." He began. "But may I ask what my purpose here is?"

Umbridge gave another gut-wrenching chuckle that sounded like a wheezing, before she responded.

"While most members of the wizengamot don't particularly care about your placement, we care very much about where to lords of Britain are living."

'Is this a political move?' Harry thought. Where the two trying to pull some sort of maneuver over him?

He was a course aware that he was a 'lord' but have never really cared much about it. Yes, there were lords at Durmstrang, but they usually stuck to their own and brawled with their own.

One thing that Harry loved about the purebloods is that for all of their complaints about the barbarity and cruelty of muggles, they themselves often were the ones doing the torturing and maiming.

Although that may have more to do with the fact that the ministries were completely biased against the muggles, so most crimes committed by wizards usually only resulted in a fine.

Harry felt bad for any muggles that had the misfortune of surviving a wizard's attack, and then being caught by the ministry. It wouldn't end well for the muggle, that was for sure. Probably to the dementors with any that were condemned.

Returning to the conversation at hand, Harry thought up a decent response.

"I'm flattered that you are taking the time to see me about this matter." He began. "Although, may I ask what in particular you are interested in?"

Better to try and get a more direct answer as to why he was here. That would allow him to try and formulate a better response. He didn't like the vibes that Umbridge gave off, and Lucius was infamous in his own right.

"Do you really believe you would be safe under the care of a…. house elf?" Umbridge finally asked. Her voice betrayed her immediately.

With the way her lip twitched, and her voice broke for a split second, it was clear she didn't like house elves. From what Harry knew, most people in the wizarding world either held disdain for house elves or used them as slaves.

Harry was initially uncomfortable with the idea of slavery; his muggle youth having ingrained in him a predisposition of anti-slavery.

However, over the years, the evidence piled up that house elves generally enjoyed what they did. The only exception was when they were abused and mistreated, which would lead to rebellious behavior on the house elf's part.

"I think it is a step up." Harry answered. "At the orphanage, there is no privacy. I can't practice my magic. It's in the middle of a crowded city, and there's not much to do."

"I believe that going to the countryside and placing my legal responsibility onto a house elf would allow me the freedom to practice my magic, without fear of discovery by muggles."

Harry had intentionally worded his response in such a way so to appear as if he didn't like muggles. He honestly didn't particularly care about them, but he didn't want to hurt them either. They were people, albeit people without magic.

It seemed to work, as Lucius and Umbridge shared a quick glance at each other, before turning back to face him.

"We can certainly understand your desire to move away from your…caretakers." Umbridge began. "but I am not sure we can I good faith allow a wizard to be raised by another species."

'Definitely a bigot.' Harry thought. The woman screamed pureblood mentality. And she clearly associated with someone life Lucius Malfoy. That wasn't a good sign.

"Then why." Harry started, but was interrupted by Lucius.

"The ministry believes it would be best if there is someone with your best intentions in mind that checks in." Lucius lectured.

"Now, we believe that since you are still a minor, you should have at least weekly check ins with a ministry official." He continued.

Harry was not liking how this was going. It looked like the minister was putting their nose in his business. The rational part of him argued that he wasn't even fourteen, and it made sense to have a human caretaker.

But Harry had not survived years of the spartan Durmstrang life to allow the ministry to screw with his life.

"Are you sure that is really necessary?" He began. "Surely there is no need for ministry intervention, after all I do have a clean record and am just a floo call away if anything goes wrong."

"Be as that may be." Umbridge began, sweet voice really starting to get to Harry. "It would make everyone feel better; besides, it has already been decided."

Harry stared, and stared, and stared some more.

"So, this is all just a formality." He stated, feeling a bit of irritation flare up. To be fair, it was silly of him to believe that the ministry would allow any thirteen-year-old to live on their own, even if he was under the care of a house elf.

But Harry couldn't help but feel like there was more going on than he was being told. Something about how someone like Malfoy had no business escorting minors around London, or that he was currently sitting in the undersecretary's office.

The whole thing felt like a plot for something, although he had yet to guess what that something was.

"You could say that." Lucius answered. "We also wanted to speak to you about…other matters."

Now that was ominous. What could two wizarding supremacists want to talk with him about? Consciously aware of how he is technically a half blood, Harry swallowed.

"And what would that be?" He questioned, unsure of what they could say.

"We were curious." Umbridge began. "As to why you decided to leave Hogwarts after your first year."

'….that's it?' Harry thought, almost sagging in relief. He was expecting something along to lines of blood purity or something to do with anti-muggle or anti-creature sentiment.

About to respond with the truth, Harry realized something. Many of the purebloods at Durmstrang were not fans of Dumbledore. Harry recalled his old headmaster, with the darn twinkling eyes.

Harry didn't particularly like him either, but he didn't hate him either. Harry just wanted to take a path in life that Dumbledore may not have wanted for him.

But anyway, it was not that far of a stretch to assume that the purebloods in Britain didn't like the man either. This meeting could be an attempt for the pure blood faction in the ministry to gain dirt on Dumbledore, maybe even try to force him out of the school.

Harry may not support Dumbledore, but one thing worse than Dumbledore in charge was a school controlled by elite blood supremacists.

"I had heard that Durmstrang allowed students to move at their own pace." Harry answered.

"Does that mean you found Hogwarts courses…. restrictive?" Umbridge replied.

Taking care to the answer carefully, Harry took a moment to formulate a non-condemning reply.

"I found the course _restrictive_." He said. "With little room for advancement if the student shows aptitude for a subject."

That was a variation of the truth, although not the whole thing. While Harry did indeed want to progress at his own speed, he also wanted the independence that Durmstrang has offered, especially in comparison to Hogwarts.

Harry also wanted to get away from the more…childish atmosphere that permeated Hogwarts. He had no care for house cups, point systems, or quidditch games. Harry was vaguely reminded of Ron Weasley, who only really seemed to care about eating, chess, and quidditch.

Returning to the present, Harry looked at the two other people in the room. Lucius had no visible reaction, but Umbridge had a small frown on her face. Did she expect him to give some juicy piece of information that could doom Dumbledore?

"Forgive me for asking." Harry began, deciding to test the waters. "But do you have a problem with the current staff at Hogwarts?"

Neither responded at first, but after several seconds Umbridge looked like she was about to speak. She was cut off by Lucius before she could even begin.

"Not at all." He said, voice cool and even. "It's just that the ministry is always looking for new ways to teach students, as well as protect them.

'Then you did a terrible job.' Harry thought, recalling the multiple incidents in just his first year. He didn't receive much word afterwards but did hear from the daily prophet about the petrification.

He really had been grateful for leaving after reading about the muggleborns being petrified.

Opening his mouth to speak, Harry was cut off by Lucius.

"Forgive me for being blunt, Mr. Potter." He began. "I am just curious about whether you had any personal experiences at Hogwarts that may have affected your decision to leave."

Harry paused, curious if the two wanted to use him personally as an public image attack on Dumbledore. Just because he didn't like the man didn't mean he believed he was any position to be waging battles, albeit political ones.

"Nothing personally." Harry started, seeing the two slightly frown. "I just believed that Durmstrang had a better education for me."

Wondering when this was going to wrap up or if they were going to keep him here all day, Harry was about to verbalize his discomfort, but apparently Lucius caught on.

"Well, if that is all." He said, beginning to rise. "I am happy to hear that there were no major problems for you at Hogwarts, although it is saddening to hear that you believed Durmstrang was a better school."

Harry keep quiet about the giant in his first year.

"It was a pleasure, Mr. Potter." Umbridge said, smiling that sick sweet smile. If Harry didn't know better, he would assume that she was an evil vindictive woman hiding behind a thin layer of smiles and pinkness. But that wasn't likely.

"Goodbye, Madam undersecretary." Harry responded, following Lucius out of the room. He wondered if the man would take him n any more interrogations.

"I do apologize for the detour." Lucius stated. "It is always good to get personal opinions in regard to the quality of our school."

'Your school.' Harry thought. He was firmly a Durmstrang student, his Hogwarts time a thing of the past.

The two continued walking, and Harry took the time to ask about his actual purpose being here.

"So, who will be checking in on me?" He questioned. He sincerely hoped it wouldn't be an auror.

"A ministry approved auror." Lucius replied.

'Of course, it has to be.' Harry internally snarked. That last thing he wanted was the magical police popping in every week to his new home.

Sighing softly, the two continued their walk in silence.

* * *

Arriving at a door marked Housing Applications. Hoping that he could get everything he needed done and be gone from here soon, Harry was about to walk in, but noticed Lucius start to stroll off.

About to ask where he was going, Harry realized he probably didn't want to know and turned back towards to office door.

Going up and knocking, Harry waited about five seconds before he heard a "come in." emit from the room.

Opening the door, Harry noticed two things. One, the room was much more color appropriate than the last one he was in. Second, the man sitting behind the desk gave a non-nonsense attitude.

"Mr. Potter." The man began. "Please, sit down."

Taking the offer, Harry sat down across from the man. He watched as the man shuffled through some papers and folders, before selecting one and placing it in front of Harry.

"The seller, Mr. Algus, took care of most of the financial paperwork." He began, without even giving Harry his name.

"But we still need your signature on several sheets." He finished, going through the folder and removing several papers.

What followed was nearly half an hour of Harry reading through and signing several pieces of documents.

While he did know that buying a house, especially as a minor, would lead to significant paperwork that didn't make him like it any more.

Once everything had been finished, Harry signed a load of relief. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like if he had tried to buy property independently.

Speaking of property, Harry had a nagging sense of unease in the back of his mind. The property and lands he had seen were good, almost too good. While the price was indeed high, Harry still felt off about how the past owner was so eager to get rid of it.

Promising to himself to investigate the properties history later to see if there is any reason for the house selling, Harry was directed out of the office and over three rooms to his left.

* * *

Sitting across from yet another person, this time a woman, Harry was hoping this would be his last conversation before he could finally leave.

"Mr. Potter." The woman said, not introducing herself either. Rude ministry people.

"Your house and guardianship have been authorized and transferred by the ministry. Here is a copy of your transaction."

He really didn't want to look at the price subtracted again but glanced over the paper for the sake of politeness. The numbers still made him cringe. He would be more careful from now on with his money.

Opening his mouth to speak, Harry was interrupted before he got the first syllable out by the woman who hadn't even looked up.

"Your portkey leaves from station six in the ministry atrium in twenty-five minutes, good day."

Harry stammered, thinking it took a lot more than twenty-five minutes to get there, before getting up and running out in the direction he vaguely remembered the elevator being.

And crashed headfirst into someone else.

'What is it with the ministry and rudeness…..' Harry thought, but stopped once he realized who he had run into.

Arthur Weasley, father to Ron Weasley, stood in front of him now looking the exact same as the last time Harry had seen him. And he was wearing the same clothes too.

"ow, I'm sorr…" Arthur began, but stopped upon seeing who he had stumbled into.

"Ah, Harry!" Arthur said, giving a bright wide smile as if he hadn't just crashed into Harry. "Just the person I was looking for."

Harry stared nonplussed. What could someone like Arthur Weasley want with him? Why were there so many people he kept running into at the ministry!

"I heard about your decision to rent that old house near York." He began. "Bit of a shock to be honest, didn't expect someone so young to be buying property."

'I guess everyone's surprised.' Harry thought. Unaware of his thoughts, Arthur continued.

"Never actually been to that part of the country before, should be fun." He finished. That brought Harry up short, why would Mr. Weasley be going to that part of the country?

"Mr. Weasley." Harry started. "Why would you suddenly be going to that part of the country?"

"Because I'm your new supervisor." Arthur said with pride in his voice.

'…Huh' Harry thought. Hadn't Lucius said it would be an auror checking in on him? Not that he was complaining, if it was true, he would take Arthur Weasley over an auror any day.

"I was told it would be an auror checking up on me." Harry continued, as the two walked towards the elevator.

"It originally was." Arthur answered. "But I plead a good case that since I'm in the department of misuse of muggle artifacts."

Continuing, he said "And since there are muggles moving in the area, it will be good if someone with hands on experience with muggles is around."

Finally, everything clicked in Harry's head. That was why Mr. Algus was so eager to sell, there were muggles moving in on the area. The man had said there were no muggles for many miles, but he never said how close they would be in the _future_.

Fighting the urge to groan in disappointment, Harry knew this would mean he wouldn't have as much freedom as he originally thought he would.

Mr. Weasley continued. "It took a bit of convincing at first, but Dumbledore put in a good word, and so I was assigned to be your overseer."

'….It could be worse.' Harry thought. It wasn't like the man would stay long.

He didn't forget how Arthur said Dumbledore put a word in for him, was the headmasters intervention malignant or in good faith?

"And if you don't mind." Mr. Weasley interrupted his thoughts. "I would like to sit down and discuss with you several muggle gadgets, if it's okay."

Harry was about to say no but realized that maybe pissing off the man reporting to the ministry on Harry's activities would be a bad idea.

"Sounds….good." Harry winced, not really wanting to discuss muggle gadgets but unable to think of an excuse to say no.

"Great, and maybe Ronald can come over something, he really gets quite lonely at the burrow with Neville travelling."

"I'll need to get comfortable with the house first before anyone should come over." Harry replied, cutting off that train of thought before Arthur could invite anyone else over to _his_ house.

"Oh, well that's okay." Arthur said. The two were entering the elevator at this point, not nearly as crowded as when Harry arrived this morning with Lucius. Speaking of Lucius.

"Does Lucius Malfoy have any problem with Hogwarts?" Harry asked. Arthur's smile disappeared, replaced by a grimace.

"Lucius Malfoy is…..not a good man." Arthur said. "It would be good for you not to go near that man, how do you know about him anyway?"

'Time for lying.' Harry thought, deciding it was better if Arthur didn't know about Lucius's involvement with his case.

"I met his son, Draco Malfoy in first year." Harry answered. "He was….odd."

Arthur Weasley still had that grimace, and once Draco was mentioned it only grew worse.

"That Malfoys believe in the superiority of purebloods." Arthur said. "above all other wizards, and above all magical creatures and muggles."

'No, Really?' Harry thought sarcastically.

The two continued their walk out of the elevator in silence, until they reached the atrium. Reaching what Harry had come to recognize as a floo gateway, Arthur turned to face him.

"Well, this is where your floo is in….two minutes." Arthur commented. "Close call there, well I hope you settle in well at your new home."

As Harry was getting ready to go through the floo, Mr. Weasley had one more thing to say.

"Ow, and about my first check in." Arthur said. "I will just pop in in about …three days. Should be around noon."

Harry nodded, and turned and stepped into the floo and was on his merry way.

* * *

The house appeared even bigger than the last time he had seen it, just a few months ago. From what Harry recalled, the property was over six acres in size. That him plenty of yard space, with woods surrounding most of the premise.

Harry was deposited outside a moderate sized gate, with a small stone path leading to the front door.

Looking around the outside of the gate, Harry noticed that he was on a small gravel road which looked like there were tire tracks on it, which was strange for an apparently magic area.

'Well, formerly magical.' Harry thought, recalling that apparently muggles were moving in the neighborhood.

It had only just occurred to him that the muggles that would be living in the area would eventually ask questions if they ever found out that Harry lived alone. He hoped the ministry could help with that.

An easy alternative would be for Harry to never venture in the muggle area and stick to the property and magical area of Britain. But he would lose his mind if he couldn't explore this new area, so decided to cross that bridge when he came to it.

Turning his attention to the gate, Harry walked up and took out his wand, glad to be able to use it openly again. Whispering the spell that would open the magical gate, Harry walked up the stone path to the front door.

Opening the door, Harry walked into what he remembered as the foyer. It was cleaner than he remembered.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud pop, which head to him almost shrieking as the telltale sign of a house elf appeared in front of him.

"Young Sir." He/She/It said, as Harry scrambled to recompose himself. Coughing to cover his embarrassment, Harry looked at the little creature.

"Are you the house elf?" He asked, keeping his voice even. He was suddenly unsure where he stood with the creature. Was he a master? Was he an employer? Or somewhere in between?

"Yes sir." It replied. "My name is finky, sir."

From the slightly high tone, and from the name, Harry assumed the house elf was a her. He did feel tempted to ask, but first impressions were important, and he didn't want to potential offend his new worker/servant.

"Finky." He said. "It's good to meet you."

He didn't expect the house elf to burst into tears and hug his leg. Unsure if he said something offensive or if this was normal for new house elves, Harry awkwardly patted Finky's head.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked the house elf, who had calmed down after a minute.

"No sir!" The house elf exclaimed, hopping up and down. "Finky is just happy that young master is nice."

'All I did was say it was good to meet her.' Harry thought bemused by the house elves happiness.

He then realized that maybe Finky saw or knew someone who worked with the purebloods. It was not hard to see some of the entitled purebloods treat their house elves like fodder.

"So, may I ask what you can do?" Harry questioned Finky, genuinely curious. He didn't know how magic worked for house elves. He had of course seen Elena's house elf, but only saw glimpses of the magical potential.

"Finky can do many things." Finky started, still almost bouncing with excitement. "Finky can clean, cook, organize, and take care of any pets and children young master might have."

'It will be many years for that last one.' Harry thought, imaging the thought of little Harry's running around the place. He shuddered at the thought.

"That's very good." Harry said, trying not to get another massive emotional reaction from Finky. "Is there anything I can do for you before I look around the property?"

* * *

After five minutes of trying the emotional house elf off his leg after making that comment, which he should have realized would probably provoke a response, Harry walked back out he front door to look around the grounds.

He was originally going to go through the house first, but it was still very big to his orphanage style mind. The foyer was probably almost as big as his orphanages dining room area.

Walking around the edge of the house, Harry noticed that the backyard, if something that large could even be called a backyard, sloped down slightly and had woods covering the perimeter some distance off.

After walking along the edge of the property, which took quite some time to do given the scale, Harry returned inside the house.

"Would young master like some food?" Finky appeared out of nowhere, giving Harry only a small scare. He knew that he would master the art of not losing composure when house elves appeared soon.

"…..If it is no bother." Harry answered. He hasn't realized so much time had passed since he had left eh orphanage to now. He had spent an awful amount of time at the ministry.

Finky hopped with joy and popped off presumably to the kitchen, if house elves even needed the kitchen to make food.

Harry took the time to look around the rest of the house. It was the same as when he had the tour just a few months back but was noticeably cleaner.

Probably Finky's doing, but Harry wondered how long it took her, and how long she had been here for.

Going through the rooms, Harry gaped at the size of the master bedroom. His last visit hasn't given respect to the pure size of it. There was even a bathroom attached to the room. This must be a taste of how the fortunate and rich lived.

One place that drew Harry's attention more than any other was the library. It was empty of course. But Harry had every intention of spending a few galleons. He wouldn't buy and rare or dark books of course, with that being too risky and expensive.

But that didn't mean he could try and fill up some of the empty space. Closing the door, not being able to stand the sigh of empty shelves any longer, Harry went to the dining room curious to see how much longer it would take Finky to finish dinner.

Opening the door to the kitchen, an amazing aroma hit Harry's nose. IT was like nothing he had ever seen.

"young master." Finky exclaimed, hopping down from a stool. "Finky is almost ready, please sit down in the dining room."

Harry once again gaped at the wide and dare he say bountiful selection of foods, before silently proceeding to the dining room.

Sitting down at a table that was too large for just him, Harry waited to see what Finky would do.

He as not prepared for the food to just suddenly appear in front of him. Only startling him slightly, Harry turned to see Finky.

"Dinner is served, young master." She said, oddly quiet compared to the behavior Harry saw earlier.

Harry was about to question her on her demeanor but thought better of it and decided to take a bite of what he assumed was some kind of chicken.

From the moment the food passed his lips Harry knew that he had made the right choice. Staring at the food, its taste leaving little to be desired, made Harry stunned for several minutes.

There as food of a similar caliber that he had eaten before, notably at Elena's house, but the knowledge that he could eat this food every day shocked him.

Turning to see Finky staring at him and appearing to hold her breath, Harry realized that she must be waiting for him to pass judgement on the food.

"Excellent, Finky." He praised, not caring about her having an emotional response this time. She had earned it.

After finishing the dinner and dealing with Finky's excited yammering's, Harry decided that it was well past dark, and time to go to bed.

Laying down in the soft bed, feeling as if it was cleaned only moments ago, Harry thought about the following day. He would go through the house more thoroughly in the morning, and then proceed outside the property to look around.

He was curious to see if there was anything interesting near his house, or if there were any neighbors, presumably magical.

Harry drifted off to the comfort of a filled belly and the softness of the sheets.

* * *

 **And that wraps this chapter up. Sorry if it didn't have as much content as you wanted, but I needed to get back into spirit. Until next time.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

 **I am unsure of any pairings, for now I will say there are none but that may change in subsequent chapters.**

* * *

When he was told that there would be muggles arriving, he didn't expect that to be the day following his arrival at his new home.

He was actually a bit annoyed, because Mr. Algus had to know about their arrival. That was probably the intent, that Mr. Algus purposely didn't tell him that piece of information on the fear that it would terminate his purchase.

It was a nasty shock, when Harry was walking down the gravel road and a car came from behind. Its engine gave Harry quite a scare, as he was unaware that there were any muggles in the area.

Quickly stepping to the side and the car moved past, Harry was surprised as the car came to a stop and rolled down one of its windows.

What Harry presumed to be a middle-aged man was staring at him from the window, with a woman on the other side and two kids in the backseat. His's observation was halted by the man suddenly speaking.

"Morning." The man began, looking a bit lost. They were probably looking for directions to get out of this area.

"You guys get lost on the backroads?" Harry asked. He spent some time during breakfast(eating one of Finky's great meals) looking over a map of the area. He had actually looked at two maps, a magical and non-magical variant.

The difference between the two was that the magical version gave locations of other magical properties, at least the ones who didn't have anti-scrying charms form what Harry understood.

The muggle version gave road directions, as well as ways to get back to the highway. Its purpose seemed to be to direct people _out_ of the area instead of around. Harry wondered if the ministry would update the muggle maps.

Harry had, with Finky's guidance, removed the magical features from the magic maps. One, he was told by Arthur Weasley that he couldn't have anything blatantly magic out in the open. Two, they were more accurate to carry around than the muggle versions, which were horribly inaccurate.

But back to the moment. The man looked relieved that Harry was probably a local.

"Afraid to say we're a bit stumped." He answered. "We just bought a new house in the countryside, and the directions don't seem to be very good."

It didn't click right at the moment; it had taken several seconds to realize that these must be some of the muggles that were moving in on the area.

"where you are heading?" He asked the man. He hoped that these new arrivals wouldn't be settling too close. Now that Harry had tasted what open space was like he didn't want to let it go.

"Well." The man began, shuffling through several different maps, all of which had amusing different paths. They were all likely designed to take muggles out of the area in different ways.

"If any of these maps are to be believed, then it should be just two miles north." The man said.

Harry took pity on the man and reached into his pocket to take out his map. Thank Merlin he had taken the magic off the map or this would be really awkward.

"The way you need to go." Harry began, looking at the map. "Is along this road here, and then…."

Once Harry had finished explaining the way they needed to go the man thanked him, followed by a chorus of thanks from the other three members in the car.

Before driving off, the man got a really curious look on his face.

"You live around here?" He asked. Harry was really tempted to say no, but if they were going to be living in the vicinity than lying would only backfire on him later.

"Ya, I live just back that way." He said, pointing back in the direction he had come.

The man looked confused for a second, before he got a really big-eyed expression and did the impression of a fish.

"You mean." He stammered. "That you and your parents live in that big mansion?"

'Not with parents.' Harry thought. 'And it's not really a mansion, is it?'

He was actually curious as to what constituted a mansion as different than a house. A mansion was probably just a way of saying a fancy house. That would make the word entirely subjective, as a 'large house' is dependent upon a person's background and point of view.

"No, I live with relatives, although they are out right now. Harry responded, not letting his inner thoughts show. When Arthur checked in a few days from now, Harry would ask about a more detailed excuse. He couldn't just say he was living with relatives forever without them ever showing up.

The man stammered apologizes, and Harry was suddenly struck by the realization that the man probably thought his family was big money. That was funny.

Watching the car drive off Harry didn't realize that these were only the first muggle newcomers. There would be several more during the following days.

* * *

Harry didn't know what to expect when Arthur Weasley popped out of his fireplace. Sure, the man was nice enough and seemed to have obsession with muggle things, but Harry thought the man would have a more serious job mentality.

He didn't and spent the first several minutes directing questions at Harry about muggle this and muggle that. It was exhausting.

To Arthur's credit, he did eventually get around the asking Harry about his time there, although he didn't ask to look around. While he was nice, Arthur didn't seem the most effective at what he was supposed to do. Not that Harry was complaining.

"Would you like some lunch?" He asked Arthur, more out of politeness than of genuine desire.

Arthur suddenly looked kind of nervous, and politely declined before concluding his visit and leaving. Before he took the floo out, Harry remembered his question.

"On, one more thing." He asked, causing Arthur to turn and look at him. "With the muggles moving in, what should my excuse be?"

Arthur took a minute to think it over, and Harry was worried the man didn't actually have a plan.

"The ministry excuse is that you are living with relatives that travel a lot." He began. "You have a caretaker when they travel. You don't have to worry about them coming on the property do to anti-muggle wards, so that should take care of most of the trouble."

"But if you do have trouble." Arthur continued. "Don't hesitate to contact the ministry for help, there are people who handle this kind of thing."

Harry nodded in acceptance, and Arthur was gone through the floo.

The next few days had Harry becoming familiar with the house and lands. He was thinking about maybe inviting one of his friends over but decided to wait a few days. Just in case.

He learned more about the new muggle arrivals, and realized it was a domino effect. One muggle someone was able to buy a previous magical home, with all the magic removed of course, which lead to magicals leaving the area.

This led to more muggles arriving, and now Harry would have to deal with it. He decided not to go out until he was comfortable explaining his cover story, so mostly spent to time organizing his few belongings.

Harry also gave Finky a hundred galleons with permission to go and buy some basic books for a cheap as she could. He was initially worried that maybe stores wouldn't sell to house elves.

But it was not to worry, as having Finky do the shopping actually worked. When Finky returned, she told him that apparently everyone though that she was serving some high pureblood, so she got items at a discounted price.

So, Harry hadn't lost too much money, and there were a few more books filling up his study area, all in all giving harry a very good feeling.

Harry had also received an owl from Victor, giving an invitation to his quidditch world cup in just a few months. With everything going on with his new house harry felt guilty about forgetting about that.

He decided to send Victor a note detailing his acceptance as well as giving in invitation to his new home.

 _Dear Victor,_

 _Thank you for the invitation, you can be sure that I will attend. The move went well, and everything is looking good here. Would you like to come over some afternoon for a bit? I am…_

Harry sealed to envelope and sent it back with Victor's owl. Now that the excitement from his move was wearing off, he was getting a bit bored a lonely so an afternoon with someone else would be nice.

Maybe he would invite Elena over in a few days too, but absolutely not the same day Victor came. Harry didn't need blast marks scrapping his new home.

 _Dear Elena,_

 _It's been a while since we last saw each other at Durmstrang. Would be willing to come over in a few days, maybe have lunch? I know that you are….._

Wrapping up his letter to Elena, Harry wondered what he would do next. There was a lot of time between now and the quidditch world cup, and the two visits would probably only be single day visits for now.

That left Harry scratching is head with so much free time and open space. Oh well, he would figure something out.

* * *

There were several other muggles that drove on that gravel path past his new home in the days since that first encounter.

Harry tried his best to believe that it would all be fine, be he had a sneaking suspicion someone would come knocking sooner or later and he would need a better excuse after a time.

Harry read up on the history of his current abode and learned that it used to belong to a pureblood line, but the last member of the family had died while in France. The will dictated the house go to a relative, who, having never been to the property, sold it cheap to Mr. Algus.

At least there was no history of blood rituals or anything, at least that he could find. Apparently, it used to be a common occurrence in the darker pureblood lines to sacrifice muggles.

Ending that train of thought before it could continue, Harry walked outside to his large backyard. The reality of his new home still hadn't fully sunken in yet. But it would.

The next few days passed in a breeze, with Harry continuing to familiarize himself with his new surroundings. Arthur Weasley checked in a week later, as promised.

The visit was again of little consequence. Arthur just talked a bit about stuff. But one important comment that he made caught Harry's attention.

"Ya, the ministry had to deal with all the new muggles coming in the area." Arthur said. "So, there will likely be so ministry officials or obliviators coming in sometime."

"Will they stop in here?" Harry said, a bit worried about whether he would have to constantly worry about officials coming and going into his home.

"No, of course not." Arthur said, looking at him strangely. "Unless you somehow reveal magic to the muggles, which I hope you wouldn't do."

'It's not like I would try and reveal magic.' Harry thought. 'But if it happens at least there will someone nearby who can handle things.'

Arthur Weasley's check in aside, everything was going fine. He had already received a reply from Elena that she would be happy visiting sometime. He would get back her on the details later.

Victor sadly could not come over, as training was really getting intense. With the Bulgarian team breaking so many records this season, they wanted to keep the spotlight on themselves.

Therefore, Victor was being run ragged, with most of his time not in the public spotlight being spent on long hours training both by himself and with the coach and team.

Harry didn't envy the man, while Victor not doubt was making quite the coin with his profession, this whole thing was no doubt stressful to him. He would probably walk away from the cup with a few grey hairs, regardless of whether they win or lose.

Still, that didn't change the fact that Victor was loving beating his opponents. If the smiles he had after catching the snitch almost every time wasn't an indicator of happiness than Harry didn't know what was.

On a different note, everything was going well in his neighborhood. Arthur Weasley told him about a funny accident during one of his routine visits.

"Apparently." Arthur had begun. "One of the magical families that recently left forgot to remove the garden gnomes."

That almost brought a chuckle out of Harry. Garden gnomes weren't really dangerous but could be a pest from what he knew.

The idea of a non-magical family stumbling across a yard of gnomes was hilarious.

"Wait." Harry had a sudden idea. "I thought garden gnomes only stay in magical gardens?"

That was what all the sources that talked about garden gnomes seemed to agree on anyway. Could they all be wrong?

"That's true." Arthur said, interrupting his thoughts. "But they can take time to relocate to a new magical residence, which leaves a window of time for them to come into contact with muggles."

That…..was actually a good explanation. Seems Arthur wasn't completely clueless as to what he was doing.

"It's the job of the resident magical family to inform the ministry of any magical creatures living on their property." Arthur continued.

"The family will probably be given a fine, and a warning." He finished.

"How did the ministry find out?" Harry asked him. It wasn't like they could read everyone's thoughts, so how did they know?

"When muggles start asking about 'gnome infestations, that's when we know something's up." Arthur responded.

"They were that unsubtle?" Harry questioned, surprised that the muggle s would have so little tact.

"Remember." Arthur said. "The muggles have no idea there is a formed magical society, this is probably their first experience with magic, they didn't know what to do."

'Ah.' Harry thought. 'Well, that was an interesting discussion.'

* * *

Harry's knew neighbors did indeed come looking. Harry had been curious if they would be able to cross over the property line, as Arthur said they would apparently be unable to do so.

His predictions indeed came true, as a muggle man and woman walked straight towards the house. It looked like they would indeed be able to walk onto the property.

But at the last second, mere feet from his property line, the two stopped walking and looked quite confused. The turned around for a bit, talked to each other, and the walked back in the direction they had come.

That had been Harry's first experience with anti-muggle wards in practice.

On other events, Elena was going to come over in a few days. Once Harry had told Finky that his friend was coming over, she got really excited and started to plan what to make for lunch.

Before Harry could stop and tell her that Elena may have already had lunch, Finky had popped away, leaving Harry standing alone in the hallway with a sigh.

But that would be several days from now. Aside from that upcoming visit, and the quidditch world cup Harry still had a lot of time before school began again.

And so, Harry decided to go out into the wizarding world.

His first stop was Diagon Alley, as it was the closest and required the least effort to get too. It was also the safest.

Harry shuddered as he remembered that German shopping district he had gone too and seen the werewolf. Dunkles Holz, which if Harry translated correctly meant dark wood.

Turning his thoughts from that dreary and dark place, Harry looked around the bright and bubbly alley which comprised Britain's major shopping area.

If Harry had gone here and nowhere else in the wizarding world, he would assume that all was merry with the world, and there were no problems to be had.

But then again, the blissful happiness of the place might serve to off put some, and there was literally too much happiness here. It was unnatural, beyond simply being magic.

Shaking off his musings, Harry walked among the crowds of witches and wizards, all of which going somewhere or doing something.

Harry had an actual purpose being here than just killing time. He planned on going to Gringotts and looking his vault holdings over again, just to be nothing is out of place.

As he walked down past the storefronts, Harry took to time to look everything over. He had of course seen most of this before, but on earlier trips he was preoccupied with whatever he was searching for at the time.

There were all kinds of neat magical trinkets and gadgets lining the storefronts. One store looked like it was completely devoted to brooms, with them coming in all shapes, colors, and even sizes. That store had a lot of kids staring through the windows.

Harry thought he heard one kid say, "But I want that one mommy, then I can be like Victor Krum", which almost drew Harry to a stop. Who knew that a Bulgarian quidditch player could be well known and popular even across the continent?

Shaking his head, Harry proceeded past stores lined with foods, objects with numerous purposes, potions, and much more.

Making his way into Gringotts, Harry hoped he could be in and out.

* * *

Ok, so it wasn't in and out. Apparently, there were repairs going on, so Harry couldn't go to the vault proper, but at least he was able to get a summary of his holdings.

Luckily the numbers matched up with the copy he was given when he was at the ministry, which was a relief.

While Harry did have quite a bit of money, every purchase he made would slowly sap the vault dry. This left him scratching his head. He still had several years before he would begin looking for a job or something, so he had plenty of time.

Still, it was something to think about, if only in planning.

Leaving the bank, Harry debate what to do next. Deciding for once to give in more childish side a chance, he made his way to a place called Florean Fortescue. Apparently, it had good ice cream.

Following the consumption of a cone of ice cream that was admittedly quite good, Harry strolled around the area a bit more.

Sitting down on a bench, he listened in on other people's conversations.

"Ow dear! Did you hear about the new mufflers?"

"The new nimbus model is the fastest one yet!"

"Which way to the bookstore? Anyone know?"

"The new outfits this year are truly dreadful!"

"All of these new magical things are truly awe inspiring."

That last one caught Harry's attention, as two kids were followed by what Harry assumed to be their parents. It was the mother who made the comment and the four strolled past Harry down the street, apparently aimlessly.

Now that Harry thought about it, he had never really seen muggle families with their magical children, baring the Hogwarts express platform and one- or two-times during shopping for first year.

That left him curious as to how they actually got around, as there were no staff or ministry official guiding them. Did they have a map?

Apparently not, because they looked quite lost. There was clearly a sense of wonder in all members of the family, but that didn't disguise the fact that they had no idea what they were doing.

'Is one of them an upcoming Hogwarts student?' Harry thought. It would explain the clueless behavior. They were clearly used to living in muggle Britain, if their clothes were any indicator.

Deciding it would be funny to go up and see how unfamiliar with the magical world they were, Harry walked up to them.

"Looking a bit lost there." He said, causing the four to turn and look at him. Moving to the side of the alley so as to not cause congestion, Harry waited to see if they would follow.

Apparently, the desire to find out how to get around outweighed their caution at following a thirteen-year-old boy, as they followed him to the side.

"We're…not from around here." The man said, looking a bit uncomfortable. Did he know about the anti-muggle sentiment some people had in the wizarding world?

"Ya, I can tell." Harry replied. They weren't exactly blending in. And the nervousness they exuded wasn't helping.

"Are you a wizard too?" The boy asked. Well, that confirmed his suspicion that this was a muggle family who had a magical child. Unless there was some bizarre chance they were a reclusive magical family. But that was quite unlikely.

"Yes I am." Harry replied. He still wondered why they weren't being shown around by a professor like he himself had. Was it because he was an orphan and the boy still had parents?

But Harry recalled that some muggleborns who still had parents had been shown around by professors

"My name is Michael." The boy said. The now introduced Michael looked around the age of eleven, so Harry could quite reasonably say he was on his way to Hogwarts. Poor kid.

"I'm Harry." He replied, figuring it only polite to give his own name.

"So, we are supposed to get all of this stuff." Michael said, taking out a long list of requirements.

"We passed the bookstore a ways back, but it was so crowded." The father interjected. Flourish and Blotts was always filled with mingling people during the summer. Guess these people didn't get the memo.

"You'll have to suffer through it." Harry said sympathetically. He himself had never had such an issue, as being guided by a Hogwarts progressor tended to lessen the lines.

"What about all of this other stuff?" Michael asked, pointing down the list.

That was a long ten minutes of Harry telling the family where to find each item, with him needing to repeat himself several times to make sure they understood.

If Harry had literally anything else to fill his time, he wouldn't have helped them. But he had already gotten a head start of his Durmstrang material for fourth year and was starting to go the tiniest bit stir crazy.

One interesting thing that Harry noticed about the family was that the daughter, who he assumed was a muggle, was looking a bit put out by something. It didn't take a genius to figure out what.

It must be torture, to have a sibling be led into the world of magic and be able to preform magic, while they themselves were stuck in the mundane life of no magic. Harry wondered if it caused rifts in any families.

Now that he thought about it, wasn't his own mother a muggleborn? Did she have any siblings? Questions to ponder at a later time.

After explaining where everything they needed was, Harry gave his goodbyes to Michael and his family, watching them depart down the street.

At the last moment he almost told them to not go around telling people three of them were muggles. After all, there were many purebloods walking around the alley. But he decided it might come off as derogatory if he said it, so withheld from speaking.

And speaking of purebloods in the alley, Harry had seen several of his former classmates walking around during his time here. None of them were from his house, but Harry could have sworn he saw familiar faces.

Maybe he was starting to imagine things, it was high time he departed. Almost walking out of the Leaky Cauldron into muggle London, Harry remembered at the last moment that he needed to take the floo.

And with a flash, he was gone from Diagon Alley.

* * *

Just because he was starting to go stir crazy didn't mean that he would stop studying. On the contrary, he was starting to actually study _more_.

So far, Harry had already learned several new spells, some more useful than others. One spell Harry had learned was Finestra, the purpose of which seemed to only be to shatter glass.

Another spell he had learned was called ventus, which had toe effect of creating a large gust of wind on a concentrated area. Not too practical, but was very amusing. Harry had been half tempted to go out and try it on some unfortunate muggle.

But that was too risky, so Harry shelved that idea. He was also trying to learn the intruder charm, which would release a loud screeching noise if any unwelcome parties entered the premises.

One of the most important spells that Harry learned was called Vulnera Sanentur. Its purpose was to return blood lost from the body back to the blood. In other words, it could keep someone from bleeding out and dying.

Considering that slash and bleeding spells were one of the most common at Durmstrang and even in the entire wizarding world, this spell could come in handy sometime.

There were several other miscellaneous spells that he had learned as well, but they were basic rudimentary spells designed to make day to day life easier for him.

And he didn't even really need to use them because Finky was amazing. Really, how does she manage to clean the bathroom and cook at the same time? It's actually kind of absurd.

So, Harry's spell learnings were coming along nicely, although he still had plans to learn several more before returning to Durmstrang. He also had to make sure he didn't grow sloppy on any of his old spells.

He couldn't really study for charms except looking over the theory and fundamental parts of potion making. Many of the parts needed for some of the concoctions were either rare or expensive. Harry wondered how the procured enough ingredients for all of his year.

That was pretty much all in terms of the educational part of his summer. In other news, he was having a guest over in a few days

* * *

Elena arrived around nine in the morning. She arrived by portkey outside of the main gate, because apparently, she didn't like taking the floo.

Harry realized that he made a small mistake in that on the road she portkeyed to, was the same road that muggles drove by on. Luckily, when Harry had gone outside to check, there had been no sign of any muggles in the area.

Relieved that he didn't have to worry about cleaning up any messes, Harry showed her inside.

"So, the old man sold this house because muggles were moving in the area?" Elena said glumly, sitting down on a sofa in the foyer.

Harry knew that she wasn't the biggest fan of muggles, and her being the one who had directed him to the seller must be irking her. He needed to try and lift her spirit.

"Yes, but it's not too bad." He started. "The anti-muggle wards seem to work, there are obliviators on call to clean up and accidents, and their moving here had made to price go down, so that's a plus."

Those were all valid points and would hopefully offset some of her negative mood. But Harry knew that the underlying issue here was her...….distaste in muggles.

He didn't know whether her dislike was just mild, or if she was a true hardcore anti-muggle, who was suppressed deep down.

Opening his mouth to speak, Harry thought better of it and closed his mouth. Best a discussion for another time.

"Come on." Harry said, deciding to show her around and try and move past this little snag. "Let me show you around."

That was another little subtle thing he had noticed about people in general. If you phrased a command in the form of a question, it was much easier to get people to follow your lead. They think they are getting a choice and are therefore much more willing to follow one's lead.

Harry hadn't tested it much, just on a few people he had meet over the last week, mostly in Diagon Alley. There was also the fact that he was a kid, so that may have something to do with making people more compliant.

Showing Elena around, Harry was glad to see her sourness be uplifted somewhat, although there still a glimmer of something bordering resentment in her. It wasn't at him, that much was certain, but then who? The muggles? Was her distaste that bad?

Harry really did want to find out whether she was an actual hardcore anti-muggle, but every time he wanted to subtly ask, he realized something. What if she was? Would he break their friendship over her views? That started to eat at Harry as he continued to show Elena around.

He wasn't oblivious to the way she looked at the muggle road every time they passed a window with a good view of it. He had always known that she didn't 'like' muggles, but then most kids at Durmstrang didn't.

It hadn't really occurred to him until now, but it had never been a problem at Durmstrang. The atmosphere there was so far to one side that there were never many ideological battles going on.

Hogwarts was different. They were going through an ideological revolution of sorts, with many of the newer generation being more pro-muggle or neutral towards muggles. There were even long-time purebloods who were changing their views.

Nothing of the sort happened at Durmstrang, so there was no need for violence or protest there. More to think on later, now he had a guest to be hospitable to.

"Would you like something to drink?" He asked Elena, the two sitting down on the patio out back. Finky was also great at furniture placement.

"Just water." She said, sitting down across from him. Harry sat quiet for a moment, before deciding now was the time to ask what has been bugging him. He just needed to think of a good way to phrase his question.

"So." He began. "May I ask if it makes you uncomfortable? The muggles being so close?"

He tried to add some negative emotion to his voice, because people always felt more comfortable speaking if they thought you felt the same way. Elena of course knew him enough to know he harbored no negative emotion towards muggles. He just tried to subtly make her more comfortable.

It didn't seem to work, as she shot him a small glare. "They killed my parents."

'No, they didn't.' Harry thought. 'It was the aurors fighting for the muggles that killed them.'

He of course wasn't stupid enough to say this out loud. It was clear that Elena held the muggles at least partially responsible for her parent's death.

He had to approach this carefully, or it could end badly for him.

"Do you blame them for simply existing?" He asked her, trying not to sound to accusative. Although his statement may have backfired on him, because he left Elena with no way out except admitting to his question.

"You think I don't know muggles, but I do." She said, lifting her chin. "My parents were out among their kind; they knew what the muggles were like."

'Your death eater parents?' Harry thought sarcastically. Well that was just great, someone who believed in a cause based on others opinion. He wondered if she had ever actually met a muggle.

"Have you ever actually been around muggles?" He asked Elena. He was suddenly aware that she wasn't at Durmstrang during a few of the pureblood holidays last year. Holidays that have a foundation in sacrificing muggles.

She apparently caught his train of thought after seeing the slightly worried look on his face and let out a laugh.

"It's usually the parents who introduce their kids to those kinds of things." She said, smiling. "Don't worry, I haven't done anything during the holidays."

Assuming she was telling the truth, that was good to hear.

Still, there remained the problem of her distaste of muggles. Harry didn't really know what to do regarding that. He could try and trick her into a situation where she would have to communicate with muggles, but that could go really badly if things went south.

* * *

Soon Harry would leave for the quidditch world cup. It was an exciting moment, both for him and especially for Victor. Harry could only imagine how much pressure was on his friend right now.

He had actually gotten a seat from Victor right below the ministry box, so the view was bound to be spectacular.

Still, there was bound to be at least some trouble at the final. With so much riding on the line for quidditch fans, there would undoubtable be some sort of riot on behalf of the losing team.

That was why when booking the tent reservations with some input from Mr. Weasley during one of his visits, Harry chose a spot as far from the center as he could. It would make the walk to the stadium much longer, but it would hopefully make getting out of the wards much easier in case of a riot.

Speaking of Mr. Weasley, another incident had popped up with the muggles in the area. Apparently, someone else hadn't reported a boggart in one of the attic closets, and that ended up in a disaster. now, the ministry is going to all the houses for sale or that have been sold to muggles in the area.

Mr. Weasley told him the story being fed to the muggles was that there was a rat infestation in the area. Harry didn't quite believe it, but then again, he wasn't the one who needed to believe it.

Back on the subject of Victor, Harry did find one thing interesting in one of Victor's letters.

 _Dear Harry_

 _As you know, with my representation in the tournament, there is now a spotlight upon me. During the upcoming Durmstrang year, there will be a tournament held between the upper years of several European schools to determine which holds superior._

 _Therefore, I would like to ask in the time following the quidditch world cup and the beginning of the school year that you help me practice for the tournament. I know that I am technically in a higher level due to being bumped up, but we both know that is a load of thestral crap._

 _I know that you will also be busy with your own work, but please, any time you could spare would be greatly appreciated._

 _Sincerely, Victor Krum._

'He's really laying it on thick.' Harry thought, when he read the letter over. He would probably give Victor a hand, and if he won whatever tournament was taking place then Harry could rub it in Victor's face forever that he helped.

Mind resolved, Harry decided to write a basic list for what he wanted to help Victor with.

* * *

It was two days before the start of the quidditch final. Harry was walking through Diagon Alley, aimlessly strolling past the shops. He had already completed a list for what he could hopefully help Victor with.

Instead of offensive spells, Harry thought it best if he helped victor learn more miscellaneous spells. It was unlikely that the competitors would be flat out dueling, so they would likely be figuring out either magical puzzles or fighting magical creatures.

Harry personally thought it would be stupid if the ministry pitted champions against dangerous magical creatures, but there was always a chance it could happen, like in previous tournaments.

Thinking over how to best teach Victor how to create a blinding light to stun certain magical creatures, Harry walked right into someone.

"Sorry." He said, realizing that this particular collision was entirely his fault.

"Harry?" His collision victim asked, standing up. Neville Longbottom stood in front of him, looking slightly less pudgy than when Harry had seen him last, a little over two years ago at the end of first year.

"Ow, Neville. What are you doing here?" Harry asked. He hadn't seen Neville during his other times here, he wondered what brought him here today."

"just shopping for school supplies before the world cup." Neville responded, shuffling around. He looked quite nervous about something, and there was an inflamed mark on his forehead.

'Maybe he got in a fight somewhere?' Harry thought, recalling that Hogwarts was known for having very little oversight when it comes to brawls.

for people who condemn resorting to physical violence, witches and wizards were willing to discard those ideas when it suited them.

"Well, nice seeing you." He said, making to move past. It wasn't that he had anything against the boy, but other than both having parents killed and being orphans, they didn't have much in common.

"would you like to come along?" Neville asked before he got far. That brought Harry to a stop. He didn't particularly care to, but it would be rude to say no. He could make some excuse to get out of it, but was that really worth the effort in this case?

"Sure." Harry said, letting out a small sigh and following Longbottom back to the Leaky Cauldron, where there were apparently other members of his party.

Firstly, the people that he recognized. There was Hermione, Ron Weasley, and Arthur Weasley. he thought the big woman talking to Hermione was Ron's mother, if appearance was anything to go by. The little girl next to Mrs. Weasley also shared the same hair color as the rest of the Weasleys, so she was probably a sister.

"Ah, Harry!" Mr. Weasley said, moving to give him a handshake. "What brings you to the alley today? Shopping for Durmstrang supplies?"

"No." He responded. "I already got my shopping done, I was just wandering around today."

Arthur got a slightly perplexed look on his face at that, but before he could say anything Mrs. Weasley bustled over and decided to introduce everyone, even the people he was already familiar with.

One funny thing to note was that the young girl, Ginny as she preferred to be called, kept on stealing glances over at Neville. Neville, for his part avoided eye contact with her whenever she looked at him. Well, it looks like there was young love in the air here today

"What are you doing here?" Harry heard. Turning to see Ron eating a very large dish of food, Harry debated whether or not to respond. The question didn't sound particularly accusatory, simply curious with a hint of bafflement.

"Just passing through the alley, a bit bored to be honest." He replied. No need for him to say something unpleasant.

"Are you going to the tournament in two days." Neville said, which prompted Ron to turn his ears to their conversation.

"Ya, got really good seats." Harry said proudly. "Right under the minister's box."

"Harry." Arthur said carefully. "A seat like that must have been very expensive."

That was another thing, Arthur didn't really know of Harry's wealth. He thought that Harry had somehow gotten the house for a very low price from a pureblood. It was a bit absurd to be honest, that Arthur wondered how Harry could afford expensive quidditch tickets when he lived in a giant house with a large yard and had a house elf.

"The ticket was a gift." He said. "One of the friends at Durmstrang knows someone."

Harry had decided to keep his friendship with Victor a secret, in order to avoid complications. It was a good decision too, as it avoided so many questions from people he talked too who happened to be quidditch fans. There was a surprising amount.

He took his leave soon after, when everyone took their attention off him to talk to each other. Harry wondered if he would see them at the world cup in two days.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

* * *

It was absurdly loud. That was Harry's first thought on his way to the stadium. Finky had insisted she make him dinner, and he had no opposed her decision.

The tent he had rented had a decent space expansion charm on it, with all the essentials inside. There was a bathroom, a little kitchen if he needed to make something light after, and a bed in case he stayed the night. Harry was still unsure about that one though.

There were tents as far as the eye could see, with vendors selling figures and food around every corner. There were people flying around on brooms too, but many of them were flying haphazardly. It didn't take much to figure out they were drunk.

When he had first arrived, he had been on a large field, and had made his way up to a official standing on the crest of a hill.

"Name?" She had said, not looking up from her paper.

"Harry Potter." He relied. She then directed him to where is tent was located, which was conveniently on the other side of the mess of tents.

Harry didn't know whether he should just go through the middle and risk the mess of quidditch insanity or take the safe route and go around the edge.

Deciding he didn't really want to spend extra time flanking around the edge, Harry made his way through the never-ending sight of tents. He was lucky in that he wasn't wearing any country specific clothing, as there were several small brawls he witnesses as he moved through the camp.

Harry did recognize a few people, both from Durmstrang and from Britain. There were one or two students he vaguely recognized from school classes, although eh couldn't remember their names for the life of him.

The rest of his walk passed without incident, with Harry arriving at his assigned tent. He did invite Elena over previously, but she had declined his invitation, citing that quidditch just didn't matter to her that much.

Harry was secretly glad, he had forgotten that when he made the invitation he only had one ticket...….that would have been awkward.

He spent some time reading a book on a chair in one of the rooms, until there was a large amount of shuffling outside. Glancing out to see everyone proceeding towards the large stadium on the hill, Harry followed suit.

Speaking of the stadium, it was truly massive. Harry had heard mention that it could hold nearly a hundred thousand people. He wondered how long it had taken the ministry to complete it. Must have cost them a fortune.

Walking up to worker after waiting through a long line, Harry showed her his ticket.

"Follow these stairs up." He said, putting to a specific staircase. "seventh level from the top."

Nodding, Harry proceeded up the flights of stairs. After climbing what felt like an endless amount of stairs, Harry looked out at the stadium interior. He wasn't even halfway up yet.

Before reaching his level, Harry was witness to a confrontation between the Malfoys and Neville Longbottom.

They didn't notice him as they exchanged insults, being on a different walkway then them, but it was interesting to note that Lucius Malfoy actually looked something akin to angry.

Considering his own time being guided around by the man for reasons still not known to him, Harry wondered what Neville did to Lucius to piss him off like that.

After giving Longbottom a cryptic warning, Lucius ushered Draco on and was about to follow when he caught Harry's eye. He stopped for a moment, before moving on without saying anything. Oblivious to Lucius's observation, Neville and his accompanying friends walked off to their own platform.

'That was unfortunate.' Harry thought. At least wands weren't drawn.

After completing the walk up and arriving at the correct level, Harry found his assigned chair and was about to sit down when he noticed there were food vendors walking around.

Noticing that there were still people milling about and trying to find their seats, he debated whether he wanted food for the game. Deciding against it, as there was a long walk down and back to his tent that wouldn't be fun on a heavy stomach Harry readied himself for the game.

It was almost twenty minutes later, when there was a hush around the stadium, and Harry saw the minister for magic, Cornelius Fudge, walk above him to the podium.

"Welcome, welcome." He began, with the stadium going almost completely quiet to listen. "It is my great pleasure, to welcome each and everyone one of you, to the four hundred and twenty second, quidditch world cup."

Taking a deep breath, Fudge continued. "Let the match begin."

And the game was on.

* * *

'Victor must be pissed.' Harry thought, after Ireland had their victory lap. It had been a close game, with Victor having caught the snitch just a little too late. Ireland still managed to have enough points even with Victor catching the snitch to win.

There had been some downright dirty tactics on both sides during the game, with penalties being given to both teams.

One of the referees ended up getting entranced by the Bulgarian team mascots, which Harry learned were vela. If he had walked into the magical world today, he would have mistaken them for succubi.

'Well, what's done is done.' Harry thought, deciding to leave before the Bulgarian fans decided to blow something up. Quickly reaching the stairs before most had started to rise, Harry was bounding down the stairs and was among the first to exit the stadium. Which was odd, considering how high up he had been.

Making his way back to his tent, Harry decided to stay for a bit. It would be exciting to see what the Bulgarians would do in the wake of their lose, and if anything happened, he was at the edge of the tents so was relatively safe. Probably.

His statement was put to the test less than an hour after the match ended.

Harry was eating a light snack before returning home, deciding against staying the night. As he was finishing up, he heard a loud boom a distance away. Chalking it up to either side's fan's getting rather excited or agitated depending on who it ways, he thought little of it.

But then much of the excitement got a more fearful air about it, and many laughs turns to screams as the sound of stampeding people reached him.

Deciding that this warranted his departure a few minutes early, Harry packed up everything as quickly as he could and ran outside. The first thing he noticed was the fire. On the other side of the camp, large flames were eating away at all the tents, reducing them to ash.

The next thing he noticed was the horde rushing in every direction. Deciding to take a note from the massages and follow suit, Harry himself ran from the campsite, small space expandable bag in tow.

Glancing back frequently to see if whoever started the fire was getting closer, he sighed of relief when he crested a hill's ridge and lost visual contact with the fire and presumably whoever started it. They were the real danger here.

But the chaos wasn't over yet, because Harry noticed objects floating in the air…wait, they weren't objects. They were people, being held up hundreds of feet up by something.

'Why don't they disapparate away or cancel the spell and slow their fall?' Harry thought. He continued to muse as the camp went up in flames, and more and more people flooding through. Most immediately left, but a few stayed and watched form a distance.

"Death eaters" One person said to another, catching Harry's attention. "Saw their masks, must be having a time with the muggles."

'Muggles? What muggles, there aren't any around here?' And then it hit him. Those were probably the people being dangled in the air.

So, was this some sort of pure blood demonstration? Harry suddenly wondered if any of the muggles died. This would probably be a pain for the ministry to deal with.

Suddenly glad that he had taken a few precious moments to gather all of his belongings, as the last the of tents were engulfed in flames. Then a flash of green shot up from among the burning tents and took shape in the air.

Harry was of course familiar with the dark mark, having seen it several times over the years for research purposes. But that didn't make seeing it any better, a green man with a serpent coming out of its tongue, above a field of fire.

It did look terrifying, and this would no doubt be on the front of newspapers for weeks if not months.

Then the pop of people apparating in caught his attention, and Harry turned to see the ministry official arrive. About bloody time, it had been nearly half an hour since Harry was sitting here. The fire has even started to go out before they got here!

They saved no time for questions, and rushed into the mass of charred and broken tents. Deciding this was the time to leave, as it would no doubt be considered odd if he stayed here anymore than he already had.

Taking the portkey he had bought back to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry then took the floo back to his house. He sat down in the small study area for a moment, drinking a glass of water. That could have gone a lot worse.

Harry fell asleep in that chair, and it was some time later that he woke up to the sound of his floo activating.

Noticing that it was till dark out, he wondered who it could possibly be.

Going to the foyer, which housed the floo, Harry waited for whomever it was to go through. With what just happened at the world cup, he kept his wand within each reach.

His fears were without cause though, as it was a frazzled and worried Arthur Weasley that stumbled through the floo.

"Harry!" He sounded relieved. "Glad to see your okay, someone said they saw you at the world cup, so I decided to check in."

"Thanks for checking in." Harry replied. It might have woken him up, but it was genuine concern and Harry couldn't fault the man for checking in.

"How is your family, anyone hurt?" He greatly doubted that Arthur would be here if one of his kids were hurt, but it was never wrong to ask.

"Thank merlin no." Arthur replied. "Had a nasty scare with Neville though. Got caught right in the middle of the mess."

'Of course, he did.' Harry thought, clearly imagining such a scene. He was still curious of the people being dangled were muggles and asked such to Arthur.

"Unfortunately, they were." Arthur answered. "Luckily there were no permanent injuries, just a few broken bones. They were healed and obliviated, and will return to society with nothing except foggy memories."

Well, at least nobody was killed. Although the issue remained of how the muggles possibly survived the fall, because the death eaters probably weren't going to gently lower them and nobody had stayed around to help them. It really doesn't matter at this point.

Arthur was clearly antsy and probably wanted to return to his family, so Harry ushered him out with reassurances that he was fine.

After Arthur had left through the floo, Harry used tempus to determine the time. Sighing, it was one in the morning. He should probably get back to sleep.

After asking Finky to block the floo, because he didn't want any more visitors, Harry went back to sleep, this time in a proper bed.

* * *

The newspapers were having a field day with what happened at the world cup. For days on end all they were showing on the first page was the dark mark in the sky.

The Ministry was trying to cover everything up, saying they had the situation under control. But everyone knew that somehow death eaters managed to get past security and destroy the world cup without any visible resistance.

If death eaters could do that at such a big event, then why couldn't they attack anywhere else, the Ministry or Hogwarts for example.

From what Harry was able to glimpse internationally, there was also some negative views from other countries, namely France and some other European countries.

They all felt vexed by not only the attack itself, but also the subsequent denial of anything wrong by the Ministry. It was truly a mess, and Harry felt lucky that he lived far from any major city, as the death eaters were unlikely to attack anywhere nearby.

Unless they attacked him personally, but hopefully chances of that were low. Just in case he prepared for a quick exit.

Apparently, there were also some Americans there as well, at least from what Harry learned from the Daily prophet and two other newspapers.

The bright side of the attack was that it overshadowed the loss of Bulgaria. Victor was less gloomy over the letters exchanged than Harry had expected, which he took as a positive.

Reaffirming his agreement with Victor to help him train for the upcoming tournament, Harry planned for Victor to arrive in a few days.

Now that Victor had lost the world cup it would be important for him to win this tournament between the schools, because not only would it regain him fame in the public eye but also because the tournament reflected on Victor personally.

There was also the fact that the tournament would reflect on Durmstrang as well. Karkaroff would probably give Victor a rant about 'winning for the glory of Durmstrang' or some other garbage like that.

Harry was curious about whether he himself would be allowed to go. Sure, Durmstrang was the most extreme of the major European wizarding schools, but even they had to hide under the public radar.

Even Durmstrang would face repercussions if they sent kids younger than sixteen into a possibly fatal tournament. So, it was unlikely that Harry would be going to wherever the tournament was being held.

That didn't really bother him, as there was really no gain in his eyes in going to and even participating in the tournament. Probably a small monetary reward, and ETERNAL GLORY. What a load of thestrals crap, people would forget within a year.

Even so, everyone was likely to get worked up over this thing, especially the upper years. Harry wondered if any of his classes would be lighter this year, as several of his classes had upper year students in them.

But those students were mostly the ones who were held back, so if the selection was based on skill it wouldn't be likely that they would be selected.

Or it could be an age limit, which was something that sounded more likely to be accepted by the more restrained schools and ministries.

Regardless, Harry would help Victor the best he could, once he got here in a few days.

On other news, Harry had his first direct encounter with muggles in the area since that second day encounter.

He had gone on a walk outside of his property line, and therefore outside of the anti muggle wards. Just minding his own business, Harry noticed some people walking towards him from a distance.

Upcoming getting closer, it was apparent that they were teenagers, and there were four of them. Three boys and one girl, just around his age or maybe just a little older.

They weren't magical, as apparent from their clothing being completely inconsistent with magical culture. Or they really wet the part of looking muggle, but that was unlikely.

Sighing, Harry realized he couldn't put off socializing with the local muggles forever. So, he held his head up high and continued to walk forward.

The four had clearly noticed him as well, as considering that they didn't change direction or stop, they probably wanted to talk.

Thinking up what he recalled his alibi to be if he ever needs to use it, Harry wondered if he would talk first.

It seemed he had no need, as one of the boys took the initiative.

"So, someone else does live here!" He said, directing that at the other three. Harry for his part was bemused by the kid's enthusiasm.

"Yep, lived here for a while now." Harry said, almost holding out his hand for a handshake but deciding against it at the last moment. "I'm Harry."

"Ew, he's hairy!" Another boy said, eliciting a small laugh from the rest. Harry was a bit confused by where that came from, but realized it was a joke about his name.

"Seriously though, my name's Harry" He replied, deciding to put that joke behind him. It wasn't even really funny.

"Ma names Ben." One of the boys said in turn, having a visible country accent. The next boy introduced himself as Sam, and the girl introduced herself as Betsy. The last boy notable _did not_ give a name, which Harry found as odd.

"So, what brings you to my little corner." Harry said, digging for their reason to be here. It was odd that they showed up quite a way from home without their parents.

"We were bored." The now introduced Ben said, clearly the de facto leader here. Harry couldn't fault them for that response, it did get quite lonely, more so for them since they didn't have magic.

"You live around here?" The other boy who had introduce himself as Sam said, looking around the area.

He wouldn't find anything, as Harry himself had walked a fair distance. Should he tell them?

"A bit that way?" Harry said, pointing in the general direction of his house. "Not too far."

"I think I remember passing by a house on the way here." The girl, Betsy said. "Could we come over."

And there was the question he knew he had to say no to. "Sorry, my parents threw a fit the last time I had guests over. They broke a very expensive heirloom."

That would hopefully kill off any desire to come to his house. Kids didn't necessarily care of breaking things, but they did care about how others saw them, and breaking something worth a lot of money would be detrimental to their image.

But it was in vain. "We won't be a problem." Betsy said, giving an impression of innocence. That didn't change Harry's mind at all.

"I'll ask my parents." He replied, stalling for time. He would just call the obliviators if they did somehow get into his house.

That seemed to satisfy them, and they began talking about how dreary their life was while following him. As much as Harry cared about teenage muggle issues, he really didn't.

Therefore, hearing Ben complain about the weather or Sam talking about the poor lack of tv's in their new house, or Betsy complaining about not having access to her favorite makeup really began bugging him.

At least they had moved past the issue of coming to his house. Teenagers in general had very bad attention spans and tended to jump to whatever subject caught his attention.

"…And then he got promoted." Ben said proudly, puffing out his chest like a peacock. Harry tuned back into the conversation when Ben said that, wondering if he missed anything actually important.

"So, what do your parents do?" Sam interjected. Well, that question was bound to be asked sooner or later.

That had actually been an interesting conversation with Mr. Weasley.

" _It's a bit iffy, but failproof." Arthur said._

 _"Do you really think the ministry can keep a story like that going?" He replied. He was genuinely unable to believe that the muggles could be fooled on something like this._

 _"Sure, we do it plenty of times for orphan muggleborns who go the Hogwarts." Arthur answered. "Never been a problem for any of them."_

Returning to the present, Harry recalled his answer.

"My parents work as ambassadors for Russia." He said, hoping that Arthur was right, and this wouldn't raise any red flags.

But Harry had nothing to worry about, as the kids seemed to accept that and go back to rambling on about whatever. That was it? Not even an eyebrow raised?

It struck Harry as a bit weird, but whatever, It wasn't like he was complaining. Finally, when Harry felt that he spent enough time to be considered not rude, he decided it was time for him to leave.

"Well, time for me to go." He told the other four kids, departing from their group in another direction.

"Wait!" He heard Betsy shout, causing him to turn. She looked at him with a peculiar expression.

"I thought you said your parents were ambassadors?" She said, a hint of accusation in her voice.

"….Yes." Harry replied, inwardly wondering where this was going.

"Then how will you ask if we can come over if they are away?" She said. Ow, that was it. Nothing to worry about.

"I'll have to wait for when they get back." Harry replied, inwardly smirking at their downward expressions. Was it really that important for them to go to someone's how that they just met?

Giving them his farewells before they could come up with a response, he took off at a brisk pace. Not in the direction of his house, but on a small detour in case the kids decided to tail him.

After another hour of walking, Harry decided they probably would have turned back by now, and made his way directly to his property.

Arriving and closing the gate, he realized how exhausted dealing with teenagers made him. Honestly, Durmstrang was less tiring, but that was probably because he was used to it, and the student body had a more serious and dare he say depressing air about it.

Aw well, he had Victor's arrival to prepare for soon.

* * *

Victor himself arrived at around eight in the morning. Harry hadn't expected him so soon, but was glad all the same.

His friend carried a slightly glum atmosphere on him, most would have missed it and mistaken the glumness for perhaps a serious personality.

But Harry knew better, and Victor was most assuredly irked. Three guesses as to what was making him so irked.

Leading Victor to one of the guest bedrooms, as he would be staying several nights while he and Harry worked on a training schedule, there was one question that crossed Harry's mind.

"Victor." He started, as the man in question was settling in. "Why did you ask me for help? Surely there are people better suited for the task."

Victor stared at him for a moment, before sitting down on the edge of the guest bed.

"To be honest." He began. "This is as much for the peace and quiet as it is for the training. And I probably don't have to worry about you selling me out to the media."

"Ah." What was there to say to something like that?

So this was more like a getaway than a place for training for Victor? While that gave him some measure of pride, that someone like Victor could find safe harbor in his home, it also meant that Victor probably wasn't into training for the tournament as much as he had let on.

That was probably completely intention, as Victor knew that would raise his chances of getting an invite to Harry's home.

'I've been played.' He thought, more amused than upset. Who knew Victor was good at this whole manipulation thing? Probably all the public attention has given him some expertise in that area.

"Well, you feel free to look around for a bit." Harry said, hiding his thoughts. "Lunch will be around noon, anything you want to do during the day?"

Being played aside, it would still be good manners to play host. One thing that Harry was still struggling to accept was that good manners were as important to society as skill.

When he had first heard that, he laughed. What was a witch or wizard without their magic? But as time went on, Harry had realized that just acting good was as important to one's image as being an expert dueler or potion master or any number of magical occupations.

People who usually only had moderate skill made headlines because they could spin their actions with kind words or thoughtful expressions, and win the opinions of the masses.

Still, Harry wouldn't deny Victor an opportunity to get away from the hassle of the public.

"Thanks Harry." Victor replied, giving a small smile. "And just settle in a relax for now is all I want to do."

Nodding his head to show his acceptance, Harry inwardly promised himself that he would get Victor to train for the tournament once he relaxed and stretched out a little.

* * *

The next few days passed by quickly, with Harry and Victor relaxing. Victor even began being receptive to ideas about training just the day after he arrived.

Harry had originally wanted to teach offensive spells, but came to realize that in a tournament where the goals and rules were unknown, it was better to learn all round useful spells.

Therefore, the next few days were spent reviewing and learning a myriad of spells. Some were healing based, such as Brachium Emendo, which heals broken bones.

He also taught Victor spells to hide form certain enemies, one of which was Cave Inimicum. That one took a bit of effort to get right, but Harry knew the effect would be well worth it.

He did help Victor with some offensive spells, such as bombarda and confringo, which Victor already had prior knowledge of.

All of this training was a bit hit and miss, for both Victor and Harry. While Harry had read about many of these spells, he hadn't really gone out of his way to practice them. Victor obviously hadn't, what with quidditch training taking up most of his time.

So this was a first for both of them. Luckily, there was a moderately sized basement, which was perfect for practicing familiar spells in a controlled environment.

Harry didn't want to risk burning or freezing or reducing his house to rubble, so he made sure to place basic barrier spells around the basement and to research all of the spells practiced making sure they wouldn't react negatively with anything.

But that didn't mean there weren't accidents.

"You ready Victor?" Victor nodded, preparing to cast the spell. This time he was doing Epoximise, which was used to bind two objects together.

As Victor muttered the spell, two boxes which were placed on opposite of the basement flew together. What the two didn't expect to happen was for the two boxes to shatter and send shards everywhere.

Harry was able to block the shards with his wand arm, but raised the other hand in a block reflex and felt many splinters tear into his arm. It was painful, but not like the time he almost exploded his skull with the expansion charm. Fun times.

Standing up, Harry looked over at Victor, who had not managed to block but dove to the side instead. He sported less splinters, but they were distributed over his entire body.

The two looked at each other, before Finky appeared with a 'pop'.

"Is young master okay?" She said, giving a look at his splinter filled arm.

"All good, Finky." Harry said, vanishing the splinters with a flick of his wand.

She nodded, giving him another stare before popping away to do something else. Harry shook his head in bemusement before helping Victor with his injuries.

There were several other such incidents along the way, such as Harry almost flooding the basement and Victor nearly blinding both of them.

Between practice, Harry had time to tell Victor about the small problem about the surrounding muggles moving in.

"It's kinda dirty." Victor said, after Harry had explained to him the situation. "But I would probably do the same in the situation."

Harry could do nothing but agree. He wondered if he also would have done to same thing.

"But still." He said. "That doesn't really help me. Any words of wisdom?" With sarcasm heavy in his voice.

"…Nope." Typical Victor. Ow well, it wasn't like he couldn't call for help on that subject. He hoped the ministry was ready for when the time came, and he made no mistake in assuming there would eventually be an accident.

But back to Victor's training, it could be said that things were progressing nicely. Both of them had learned in the many days they had practiced. Victor obvious sly had learned more, with much of the content spells he had never seen before.

Harry hoped the Victor used the spells and skills he had learned during their little training to win the tournament, although he still didn't know what it was. He wondered if he would find out when he went to Durmstrang.

Although they had not simply trained during Victor's entire stay. Harry himself finally got the nerves to try broom racing.

He had first scoffed when Victor had suggested he learn how to ride a broom, but it took several days for him to come to a realization. Most people, even children can fly a broom. He would look stupid if the subject ever came up in conversation if he couldn't fly a broom.

So, at breakfast one morning before they began training again, Harry agreed with Victor's suggestion. Seeing him almost chock on the food he was chewing made it all worth it.

He had been directed outside for Victor, who for once took control of the operation. Following all of Victors orders, as he was out of his comfort zone here, Harry mounted the broom feeling it sway underneath him.

Once Victor has finished explaining to him what he needed to do, Harry took a deep breath and pulled back on the broom. And up he went.

Slowly rising up until he was a good ten feet in the air, Harry pushed forward slightly. And went into the ground.

'Ow.' He thought, as he got up. That was why he started low from the ground, so a fall like that wasn't too serious. Amid Victor's suggestions to try again, Harry did so.

After an hour of slowly getting higher and higher and no longer crashing upon landing, Harry felt like that was enough for the day. Victor disagreed but he accepted that progress was progress.

With everything going on, the days ticked by and soon it was the last week until Victor's and his own return to Durmstrang.

There were no further problems with the muggles, and Harry saw no more of those kids he ran into weeks ago. Probably for the best, he hoped they wouldn't be there next summer.

Gathering supplies was much easier this year, as Harry had Victor to help show him the best dealers to get schoolbooks. Seems that pureblood heritage and public prestige came in handy.

It costed him less too, as Victor being the intermediary party helped garner something of a discount on the purchases. Harry felt the tiniest bit dirty for unintentionally using Victor like that, but ow well. Wasn't like he was using his friend to save money or anything.

He also debated whether to resolve the whole anti-muggle thing that Elena had going on right now. But that would probably not end well, at least right now. He would talk to her once he returned back to Durmstrang.

* * *

It was the day before he portkeyed back to Durmstrang for the academic year. Finky was quite upset and tried even harder on all her day to day tasks.

It actually worried Harry, that Finky was running herself ragged and he hadn't even left yet.

He had sat down with her that last day, and tried to reassure her that he would be fine and he wasn't mad at her.

"Finky." Harry began. "You know that I'm leaving for school tomorrow."

Finky had a small sniffle, and looked up at him with big, dare he say adorable, eyes.

"Finky really can't come?" She said, holding back another sniffle. "Finky can help young master with all of his tasks."

Harry smiled sadly. While he would love the help, it went against Durmstrang policy to have house elves on the school grounds.

OK, it wasn't against school rules per say, but it was tradition that students do all of the work themselves. For once, Harry agreed with the purebloods who had made that rule.

Because forcing students to do their own work and chores instilled in the students a proper work ethic. It also robbed many students of their spoiled persona. Harry himself was victim of this little detail.

He was raised in an orphanage, but in the beginning during his muggle education and Hogwarts year, everything he needed was taken care of by either teachers in the case of his muggle education, or the professors and house elves in the case of Hogwarts.

That all changed when he arrived at Durmstrang his first year. He had been shown a cold stone room underground and told to figure it out. That was a rude wakening for him, and he had spent many nights cold while he figured everything out.

He had learned how to make his room warm, comfortable, and mostly safe. And he was proud of how far he had come and looked down on how he had been before. Therefore, he also wanted to gain a bit for independence away from Finky's constant attention.

She was nice and competent, but Harry needed a bit of solitude and Durmstrang was a great place to find it.

"I am sorry, Finky." He said, returning to the conversation. "But it goes against school policy."

Seeing Finky about to tear up, Harry thought of something to say. "I'll be coming back for the holidays, and you can bake as much food as you want then, how about that?"

Hoping that would give Finky a glimmer of hope, Harry watched as she composed herself, although still continuing a bit of sorrow, and accepted his answer.

"Finky will be fine." She said, giving a watery smile. "Finky will wait for young master to go to school."

Nodding at her statement, Harry gave a smile and went to start packing for his travel the next day.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

* * *

Harry decided to get to Durmstrang early, compared to all the other years where he tended to arrive later in the day.

This was because he once again wanted to avoid the main influx of students. Harry was getting to the age where kids started to fight more regularly and with greater intensity than before.

He didn't have any enemies that he knew of, but it didn't hurt to play smart and get to his dorm early in order to set up a few basic wards.

So he had woken up before the sun was even close to up, and prepared to depart to Durmstrang.

Harry double checked to make sure everything he needed was packed, not wanting to have to deal with returning if he forgot something.

Deciding that he had everything, Harry had breakfast, although he made sure to ask Finky to keep ti light as the portkey would mess with his stomach.

After saying another farewell to Finky, who Harry feared would break out in tears any moment, he activated the portkey and was gone.

Appearing near the main entrance to the castle, Harry took a deep breath. He had prepared for the time change this time, as therefore was unsurprised at seeing the sun already overhead.

It was still morning; Harry could tell that much. Durmstrang was several hours ahead of Britain after all.

As Harry made his way down the path to the school, He decided to take a small detour. Passing by the area where the students had bee incinerated by the cursed fire a long time ago, Harry noticed that the greenery was only just starting to grow back.

It wasn't really surprising, as the Fiendfyre tended to leave remnants of its destructive power on the ground it touched.

Shaking his head and walking past, Harry wondered how the families reacted when they learned of their children's deaths. One would think they would blame it on the school and seek retribution, but Harry had heard nothing.

Nothing from other students, nothing from the staff, nothing from the papers. It was like their deaths never happened.

Walking up to the school and over the bridge leading into the castle, Harry strode inside. Moving to where he recalled his room to be, he made his way there with little trouble.

After three years Harry was finally getting used to the layout of the place. Took bloody long enough.

He placed his bag in the corner, and got to work on the usual spartan room. Casting a ball of light which illuminated the entire room, Harry began making improvements to just about every aspect of the room.

He improved the quality of the bed and sheets; he insulated the inside of the room for the chilly nights. He expanded the shrunken furniture he had in the bag. There was now a couch, chair, desk, two lamps, and several other items that Harry decided to bring along.

All in all, Harry had come a long way since that little twelve-year-old boy stepped into this bare room years back. And he hoped that he would continue to grow and learn in the upcoming years.

Once everything had been set up, he left the room and decided to walk around the castle. Classes didn't start until the following day, so there was nothing he needed to attend or complete until then.

Making his way past all of his classes, Harry wondered if he would be challenged more than in previous years. It wasn't to say this his previous classes were easy, far from it. But he wondered if the upper years were pushed even farther than he thought they would be.

Speaking of upper years, Harry was still curious about whether the younger years would be informed of this tournament, or would they be left in the dark. It wasn't hard to imagine Karkaroff not even telling them something like this.

Well, Victor would probably tell him either way what happened, so it wasn't like he needed Karkaroff to tell him anything.

* * *

Victor actually managed to arrive on the first day. Considering that he had never managed such a feat in the years that Harry had known him, celebrations were in order. If Harry could drink he would pop a wine bottle.

Victor's arrival also coincided with an increase in the amount of giggling and pointing, it got to Hogwarts levels of childish behavior. It was truly disgusting.

Elena also arrived too, and was more her usually self. Harry guessed that they were just pretending that whole anti-muggle conversation they had never happened.

That was not the outcome he had particularly wanted, but it was far from the worst outcome that could have happened.

Harry had really only just come to the realization that he was halfway through his education. Three years complete and three years after this one. Then again, the first year was at Hogwarts and that wasn't really much of an education.

The thought of what he would do was just beginning to form in his head, although it was still thin and flexible. There was plenty of time to refine his plans for the future and there was always room for change.

Karkaroff had made the tournament announcement during the end of the first meal.

"Students." Karkaroff's unpleasant voice spoke out to them, silencing them. "I have an announcement."

Once the hall quieted down completely, Karkaroff cleared his throat.

"All top years will be going with me to Hogwarts for a special event for the school year." He said. "All other students will remain here for the rest of the year."

The few top year students that Harry knew didn't react, so he assumed that they had already been told about this event. The same couldn't be said for the rest of the hall.

While Harry and a few others remained quiet, many whispers broke out until Karkaroff once again called for attention.

"Now, if anyone wishes to attend the events." He said, causing more whispers. "Then the days of the events will be posted and classes will be excused for those days."

That was oddly generous of Karkaroff. Harry wondered what caused the headmaster to be less vindictive than usual. He guessed that because this was a public tournament, it would appear strange it he didn't allow his students to see such an event that one of their own were participating in.

There could be any other number of reasons, but that one had the best chance of being right.

Nothing else interesting happened following the speech. The students ate, with there being slightly more excitement in the air than usual, but to Harry's delight there was no over the top cheers.

While eating Harry came to a strange realization about Durmstrang, that the reputation the school had was not quite accurate.

From what Harry would have believed from lightly researching the school, Durmstrang is the perfect place for torture, thievery, and pain. Now while there was no doubt some of that going on behind closed doors, Harry himself hadn't really seen much of that over the years.

Although he did see a bunch of students consumed by Fiendfyre, so maybe he wasn't being critical enough. But perhaps the lack of punishment for dangerous magic experiments was the reason why Durmstrang arguably produced the best students.

Because all of the incompetent students were kicked out or dropped out over the years, while the kids with big egos usually ended up getting themselves killed casting a spell they hadn't learned to properly control.

Harry himself might have been one of the students, constantly pushing beyond his limits until he screwed up and got himself killed. But his experience with the Fiendfyre, or rather his classmates experience with the dark fire convinced him to take a more paced attitude towards new spells.

Although it was probably because of blood purity, Harry also believed it was probably better if the muggleborns were not allowed into Durmstrang. Along with disrupting the subtle peace which Harry had come to enjoy, it would also be bad for the muggleborns as well.

They would be raised to a school system where students were coddled in comparison. The lack of supervision or parental guidance would no doubt lead to many injuries and deaths over the years. Many of those deaths would probably be because of classmates.

That was one reason for why Harry believed muggleborns should be left out of Durmstrang, but there was also another reason as well.

As Harry knew and saw every day at Durmstrang, there was an eerie peace at the school, something he never really felt in the chaotic and house divided Hogwarts. Injuries, although more serious, are less common at Durmstrang. All of the students also follow the most important rules, the kind the prevent mass destruction of the school.

Students try harder, because the consequences for failure are much greater than at other schools. While this could turn off some, Harry knew that it had helped him grow and gain independence. He never would have had the nerve to buy a house at fourteen if he hadn't learned to live almost entirely self-sufficiently at Durmstrang.

If muggleborns entered the Durmstrang school system, it would impact everyone else. Not only would they unable to cope with the changes brought upon them but would feel belittled and out skilled by their classmates as well.

This would have the effect of either forcing them into a shell of isolation, as they would attempt to catch up on their own. Or, they could turn violent, and lash out at a more skilled student. That would probably lead to the muggleborns eventually demise.

Not to mention what the purebloods and half-bloods would do if muggleborns enter the mix. One reason for Durmstrang's peace was that the pureblood ideology was so strong here that people didn't feel threatened to turn violent. They were safe in their faith here.

The mixing of muggleborns into the school would likely trigger the purebloods and some half-bloods into violence, as they would feel threatened by the new arrivals and lash out in an attempt to preserve their tradition.

Many might feel this train of thought to be hypothetical, but Harry knew it was more than likely in the next decade that there would be an attempt at integration of the school.

When it happened, and Harry hoped he would be gone when it did, there would almost certainly be bloodshed, both on the school grounds and off it. Ow well, he would try and stay out of it.

Following Karkaroff's speech, the rest of the meal was uneventful.

Following a lackluster meal the was so bland it was horrible, Harry walked back to his dorm. He wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet, as the time change meant that it was still quite early to his British standards.

Still, everyone else would probably go to sleep in anticipation of classes beginning tomorrow. That was the one day you wanted to come in at your best.

* * *

Waking up only marginally later than what he normally would at Durmstrang, Harry stretched and yawned. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he got up and dressed for the day.

Looking again at his class schedule, Harry noticed that he had transfiguration first today, followed by the dark arts class. While he would pay attention in those classes, the real ones he was looking forward to were potions and charms.

The reason was that both of the classes were of a higher level, which meant that he would be learning more advanced material in those classes. Ow well, he would live with what he had.

After a short breakfast in the main hall that once again left a sour taste in Harry's mouth, he made is way towards his transfiguration classroom.

It had been awhile since Harry had seen professor Kentworth, his transfiguration teacher. Should be an interesting class.

"Good morning class." Said professor said, strolling in through his office door into the main room. Making his way to the front of the class, with a flick of his wand the back door closed.

"This year." He began. "You will apply what you learned in basic transfiguration as well as the foundations for more complex transformations in order to complete intermediate transfiguration tasks this year."

"Lots of words." Harry thought, believing what professor Kentworth just said was just a fancy way of saying 'Your learning more advanced material".

"Furthermore." Kentworth continued, unaware of Harry's thoughts. "Because of the tournament coming up, I will be leaving you to attend."

That brought up murmurs in the class. The time for the departing students had been posted in the hall the previous evening, so everyone knew the delegation was leaving on the thirtieth of October.

That meant that there was less than two months of teaching, then what?

"Therefore, I see no reason not to hold back this year." Kentworth began after a short pause. "I was push as much knowledge into your head, and before I leave there will be a project assigned."

"This project will encompass everything you have learned so far, and will determine your entire grade this year as you will have the majority of the academic year to complete it."

Professor Kentworth finished after that, and they jumped right where they left off last year. Kentworth wasn't joking about crushing the material into their head, the students were left scrambling to begin complying own what he was lecturing on.

"I got my wish." Harry thought morosely, barely managing to keep up with the pace his professor was going at. Realizing now how stupid he was for thinking that class moved too slowly, now it would move too quickly.

After an uncountable amount of time where professor Kentworth deemed it necessary to smash them into the ground metaphorically with the weight of information, Harry walked out of the class with a sigh.

'The first years must be having a much harder time.' He thought. He certainly would have been on hard ground if he had been expected to move at this pace when he first arrived at Durmstrang.

Still having quite a bit of time before the start of his next class, Harry debated on whether to do. He could head back to his dorm and begin to assimilate all the information he had been given.

While he no doubt would do quite a bit of studying, Harry also wanted to get out and do some practical work before it got too cold outside. Charms and spells to warm oneself were definitely useful, but there was nothing like natural warmth.

Mind made up, Harry went outside to get some practice in, promising himself he would get a start on his studying when he got back.

* * *

His dark arts class was much more manageable, mostly because his dark arts teachers wasn't leaving for the tournament. Professor Ashen was one of several professors who weren't leaving for the tournament.

It probably had as much to do with Durmstrang not wanting its dark arts professor to go to another school than with anything else, but at least there wouldn't be a mountain of work piled on his desk in this class.

No, the point of this year in the dark arts was to inject a more intense feeling into the duel, as well as to increase to speed, reaction time, and arsenal of spells. It wasn't directly stated, but the hidden 'kill if you need to' was there.

Maybe Harry's perspective had been eroded by years of being at Durmstrang, but the class wasn't actually _that_ bad.

Yes they were taught spells that could probably kill someone in seconds, but Harry had never actually seen anyone use them, at least on the school grounds.

'But then, why would they?' He thought. At this point Harry strongly suspected that many of his classmates had already killed muggles.

They didn't come outright and say it, but the way they spoke and how they lowered their voice whenever a half blood walked past made it seem certain that they were up to no good.

At Hogwarts, Harry might have felt compelled to report the students, but it was a different story here. The teachers either didn't care or supported the muggle killers. Therefore, it was probably a good idea not to stick his neck out.

But that didn't mean he didn't feel bad for the poor muggles whose lives were ended in a most horrific manner. When it came to magic, Harry could see no lack of way to kill someone.

But back to the class at hand. Professor Ashen was in the middle of a lecture differentiating different variants of the same spell. While somewhat basic, the same spell could be adjusted to suit a number of given tasks. In this case, depending on the weather it may be necessary to tweak many spells in order to get the best results in a fight.

Walkout out of the class after the lecture, Harry debated whether to try and find Victor or Elena. But they both also were starting their new classes of the year, and would undoubtedly have as much work, or in Victor's case more work, than Harry himself.

* * *

The next day, charms and potions were better than Harry's first two classes. Not out of difficulty, but more out of preference.

The work was just as challenging, even more so than transfiguration and the dark arts in the case of charms. But Harry liked charms and to a lesser degree potions over dark arts and transfiguration.

Charms was just more useful, in Harry's opinion. They could be used for fighting, mundane life, or special enchantments. Really, there was a charm for just about everything.

Potions were necessary to many aspects of wizarding life. There were many witches and wizards who made bucketloads of galleons creating rare and hard to make potions.

Not to mention that there were many curses and injuries where the only known remedy were potions. Plus, it sounded cool to be called a potions master.

It wasn't like he didn't value his other two classes, but potions and charms seemed to have more of a real-world value, at least to Harry's perspective.

Ow well, he would still try hard in all of his classes.

With studying and work, the days slowly turned into weeks, and a month passes by. Soon, it was the week where the students who were of age would depart for the tournament.

Harry was a tiny bit irked that he couldn't go as well but understood that it would be extremely rude for a fourth year, no matter how skilled in his opinion, to attend such a tournament reserved only for seventh years.

But on the other hand, he was relieved. Firstly, many of the older students, most of the ones causing the most fighting every year, were leaving. That would leave a much quieter school, although there would probably still be some action to take part in.

Victor, to his surprise was not really interested in becoming a champion, that was an interesting conversation.

"What do you mean? You don't want to compete?" Harry had said, staring. He thought Victor of all people would want to become champion.

"Not really." Victor replied. "I was told by the school to compete, and now that the quidditch season is over this is all that is keeping me enrolled in Durmstrang."

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but abruptly closed it. Hadn't Victor said last year that the school was only really keeping him because of his popularity.

If he didn't attend, then Durmstrang would have no real reason to keep him around anymore. And from the looks of it, the school didn't want him anyway.

"So, do you think you'll be selected to be the champion?" Harry wasn't familiar with the specifics of the tournament, but he did know the basics. Most importantly, that the representative students of each school were selected specifically.

Harry didn't know exactly how each student would be selected. Was there some kind of board that would evaluate each student? Did a spell somehow do it?

Well, it wasn't like it would affect him any, seeing as he would be staying here at Durmstrang.

"Something tells me it'll be me competing for Durmstrang." Victor replied, with a conflicted smile. He had really sunken from the kid Harry first met in his second year. Gone was that eager to glory attitude, now he appeared more sunken than Harry had ever seen him.

"Well, on the bright side." Harry said, in an attempt at levity. "After this year you'll never have to see Durmstrang again!"

Victor couldn't even muster up a sarcastic smile at that, and simply slouched over. That left Harry in a bit of a funk, because for once he didn't really know how to cheer Victor up.

Usually, all Harry had to do to liven up Victor was to blabber on about quidditch for who knows how long. But sine the failure at the quidditch world cup. Victor has been distancing himself from quidditch bit by bit every day.

Was Victor going through a depression? Harry could certainly see why.

Victor had built everything up to that one moment and had lost. He would forever be known as the youngest seeker to ever lose the world cup. And now with the tournament coming up, if Victor was chosen and lost, it would forever mire his image for the rest of his life.

So, it was more than likely that Victor would be stressing out over this whole tournament thing, because it was like he was being forced to have a second chance, and if he blew it everything would crumble for him.

Harry felt bad for him. He always thought Victor had a bright and good future ahead of him but realized that wasn't true. That wasn't to say that Victor was poor, he was undoubtably quite wealthy. Harry reckoned Victor was even more wealthy than himself.

But Victor had always sown that he wanted to go into a career of professional quidditch. Now with that course of action not being certain, Victor was having a midlife crisis. Except he was still a teenager.

After half an hour of trying to cheer Victor up and having only marginal success, Harry left Victor's room and returned back to his own room still uncertain about what to do with Victor.

* * *

It was the day of the participants departure from Durmstrang. The mode of transportation caught Harry off guard, almost getting a laugh out of him when he first saw it.

It was a giant boat, and it looked horribly unstable. No doubt there was magic keeping it in perfect stability, but it looked like something that would almost immediately flop to one side should the magic be removed from it.

Harry was wrong about all of the upper years going to the tournament. Some of the students who from what Harry knew were close to failing were strongly discouraged from attending.

The older students marched down in formation, almost like they were being watched.

'Probably preparation for the papers.' Harry imagined. While Durmstrang didn't allow the media onto its school grounds, a fact Harry was grateful for, it was undoubtedly that there would be agents from all the major newspapers across Europe at the arrival of the schools.

Harry caught a glimpse of Victor near the year of the procession, very close to Karkaroff. It was surprising to see the headmaster and some of the most famous and well learned students at the rear instead of leading the column.

Victor had explained it to him earlier and was surprised to learn that it was Durmstrang tradition to have the faculty and higher quality students finish the entrance. From what he was told, there was some sort of general procession where the majority of students participated in some kind of entrance ceremony.

Then, the faculty and top students would walk in being all smug as the students did their part and would arrive just as the ceremony finished. It did probably look awesome but seemed needlessly complex. Ow well, at least he didn't have to take part.

Turning his attention back to the present, Harry watched as the students finished getting on the boat and spent several minutes watching the ship prepare to set sail.

The view wasn't great, he wasn't that close after all, but it was still interesting watch the ship away. Harry found the idea of a pureblood controlled school sailing to another school laughable, so he knew that there was something else going on here.

His opinion was confirmed when the ship suddenly began to submerge into the water, until there was nothing visible anymore and all that was left was an empty lake.

'That was anticlimactic.' With that, Harry proceeded back into Durmstrang. He still had classes, after all.

* * *

At this point Harry assumed the universe was out to get Victor. He wasn't the best Durmstrang student by far, and yet he still was selected for the tournament. Talk about bad luck.

He was conflicted about whether to be amused or sympathetic for Victor's plight, once he set down the letter that had just arrived from Hogwarts.

Ow well, Victor would just have to try his best and hope for the best as well.

Quickly composing his own letter in response to Victor, Harry wished him well. With just over three weeks until the first task was to set place, Victor would really have to hone the skills he had to prepare for whatever the tournament threw at him.

On slightly more strange news, apparently there was an extra competitor in the tournament. There were only supposed to be three, but an extra student was selected from Hogwarts.

From what Harry knew, Neville Longbottom wasn't the kind of person to go for the fame and glory. Sure, he hadn't really seen or interacted with the boy in years, except at the leaky cauldron during the summer before the cup.

But from what Victor had said to him, the general consensus at Hogwarts was that Neville put his name in something called the goblet of fire in order to be able to compete.

Harry did strongly doubt that, but there was nothing he could say or do to prove otherwise, and it really wasn't his problem.

He didn't really expect Neville to be able to complete many of the tasks, much less prove a challenge to any of the other contestants.

Concerning the other contestants, the Hogwarts champion was a boy named Cedric Diggory. That name did sound familiar, perhaps Harry had seen him in the halls when he was a first year?

The Beauxbaton Champion was someone named Fleur Delacour. What caught Harry off guard was that Victor told him that she wasn't human, or at least not fully.

Harry didn't even know that schools accepted non-humans into their student body. Well, it seems France was the first major European school to allow for non-human entry. He wondered what other school would be next.

Probably not Durmstrang, and despite Hogwarts being more open minded they still had a mostly pureblood board of governors to Harry's understanding. So probably not them any time soon.

Well, Harry would be seeing all of the champions soon, when he attended the first task on the twenty fourth of November. Any student who wanted to attend got a portkey to take them to the task.

Until then, Harry would focus down and do his work. He needed to get that potions paper done in two days anyway.

* * *

Making his way outside the wards of the school with his portkey in tow, Harry waited a moment.

Turning and seeing someone walk behind him, he smiled at Elena's approach. He had pestered her over the last few days to attend the tournament, and eventually she had caved.

Harry thought it had more to do with her wanting to see another magic school than the pestering itself, but it worked either way.

Without a word she activated her portkey and disappeared less than a moment later. Harry followed suit, activating his own portkey and disappearing from his spot.

Landing on his feet with only the slightest knot in his stomach, Harry looked around the area to get his bearings. There was no need, as the Hogwarts castle was clearly visible from the distance.

When he was told he would arrive at the time of the task, they weren't joking when they said, 'at the time of the task', because there was a stadium not too far from where they are.

By the sound of it, there were already many people inside the stadium, so Harry made haste to get in and get a seat while he still could.

Elena followed behind him. To be honest, Harry didn't really know where he stood with her, because ever since her last visit to his house and their subsequent conversation about her opinion of muggles, they had been on skittish terms.

Harry hoped that it would lighten up in time, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head that this was something that would always be a problem.

Elena did look a bit disappointed though, which may have to do with the reason that she came. Elena probably wanted to see Hogwarts from a closer distance, and how grand it really was. Harry could certainly understand her feelings.

Durmstrang, while certainly not small, was built partially into a mountain and underground. That means there wasn't much to see from the outside.

Although it also could be that her parents went to Hogwarts, and she wanted to get closer to their memory by going to where they went to school. Knowing Elena, it was probably the second one.

Finding a pair of seats near the top of the stadium, Harry looked at the layout of the area in the center of the stadium.

It was rocky, with many dips and large boulders. But Harry's attention was distracted by someone hat he had assumed was a rock, but now saw was moving slightly. It was a dragon.

Looking like a series of rocks, the dragon was obviously sleeping, and blended in well with it's surroundings.

Harry suddenly got very queasy, having a rough idea of what the champions were going to have to do.

And it wasn't long before the start of the event either, when Dumbledore in all of his glory stood up and began speaking. He had to be using a spell for his voice, because his words boomed throughout the stadium.

Dumbledore went on to explain that the champions had to recover a golden egg, guarded by a real dragon in a nest of real dragon eggs.

'Well, it could have been worse.' Harry thought. 'It could have been a nundu.'

His attempt at reassuring himself wore off when the dragon woke up. It screeched out at the audience and tried to jump towards the closest section of the audience but was restrained by a massive chain.

Dumbledore left the podium and went to a tent on one side of the stadium. After a few minutes, a cannon went off, causing quite a few students to jump.

Several second later, Cedric Diggory walked out of the tent. He looked towards the dragon, but there was no confusion or fear in him. A bit of resignation from the looks of it, but nothing from someone who was faced with a dragon suddenly.

'He knew.' Harry thought, wondering how the Hogwarts champion found out. He didn't ponder for long though, as Cedric began waving his wand and muttering, although it was too far away for Harry to guess what the objective was.

It became clear several second later, as a rock on the other side of the arena suddenly turned into a dog and began barking.

Cedric's goal was likely to distract the dragon and snatch the egg and make a hasty retreat. It was mostly successful to, until the dragon noticed Cedric while he was dashing back to the tent opening.

Breathing flames at the running teen, his head caught fire. Taking cover behind a rock, Cedric quickly put the flames out, before trying his transfiguration trick again. Only distracting the dragon for a brief moment this time, it was enough for Cedric to make a dash to the tent flap and to safely.

Next was Fleur Delacour, the French contester. She somehow managed to charm her dragon to sleep, but on her way to retrieve the egg the dragon let out a puff a dragon fire in it's sleep, which caught the end of her skirt on fire.

Putting the fire out, Fleur made a hasty retreat to the tent flap, and was done with little more excitement.

Next was Victor. Harry was curious to see what his friend would choose to do for his task.

Victor didn't disappoint, taking careful aim once he saw his dragon and shooting off a curse. From what Harry saw, and the effects the spell had on the dragon, it was the conjunctivitis curse.

That was a curse they had talked about near the end of the summer but didn't test for a lack of test subjects. Neither of them wanted to be blinded after all.

The dragon didn't appreciate being blinded, as it began smashing around the arena screeching wildly. Victor managed to run through and snatch his egg, but many of the other bait eggs in the arena were smashed. That would probably get points docked.

Although Victor was the only one so far who hadn't been set on fire, so that was probably a good thing.

Next was Neville Longbottom, the unfortune fourth contester. He had a visibly less composed reaction upon seeing his dragon. Hiding behind a rock, Neville looked close to hyperventilating.

Taking a deep breath, Neville raised his wand and spoke a spell. Nothing happened at first, until a broom came out of nowhere and Neville desperately grabbed onto it. Taking off, Neville flew out of the stadium.

But the dragon wasn't done with him yet, breaking its chain and flying after him. Part of the stands was destroyed as the dragon chased after the boy, with wood falling on part of the spectators.

What followed was several minutes of people looking around trying to see either the dragon or Neville. After five minutes, people were getting antsy, and looked ready to get up and start looking for him.

But their worry was unnecessary, as over a hill came Neville on his broom. Sweeping in and grabbing his head, Neville flew through the tent flap, and the first task was over.

* * *

After the tournament, there was little time for fanfare, as there were still assignments due and classes to attend the next day.

Before leaving and taking his portkey back, Harry made sure to see the scores.

Neville and Victor tied for first, probably because neither one got burned, although Neville did have a nasty gash on his arm by the looks of it and Victor did have some of his eggs smashed. Next was Cedric, with Fleur Delacour following last.

Delacour being last had more to do with her being not entirely human, because she seemed to do a better job than Cedric in Harry's opinion.

But what mattered was that Victor was first. Or tied for first in any case. It was a bit annoying that Neville was able to pull a tie for first when he fled the arena and only returned when the dragon wasn't an issue.

Harry would chalk it up to wit, but he had a hunch that the stunt Neville pulled had nothing to do with wit.

Classes continued at Durmstrang, with Harry immersing himself with his studies. While he was studying and practicing new and more advanced forms of magic, Victor's letters continued.

Apparently, there was something called a Yule ball approaching. With nothing being said by the Durmstrang staff, Harry assumed that it wasn't an option to attend like the three tasks.

But that didn't mean that there was an end to the amusement as Victor's letters detailed some funny events.

Events like Ron Weasley falling completely under the veela allure. From what Victor detailed, Ron made some huge spectacle in the Hogwarts courtyard to Fleur Delacour. It must have been something to die for.

Victor had an interesting choice for his date to the yule ball. Hermione Granger, one of the last people that Harry thought someone like Victor would choose.

Although it was far from a bad thing, at least in Harry's view. Hermione from what he could remember was a smart and driven girl, even if she was the slightest bit of a teacher's pet.

Harry and Elena finally started to get over their little argument in the summer. Of course, neither of them was really willing to concede the point, so they both just silently agreed to not bring up the topic.

With his attention on his work, soon the second task was upon them. Luckily Harry had bought some warmer clothes over the summer just in case he needed them.

He could just use a warming charm, but why bother when one could just wear warm clothes and not have to worry about the charm wearing off.

The method of transport was identical to the first task, with them taking a portkey to and from Hogwarts.

Arriving in style, Harry marveled at how well he was getting at portkey landings.

The first thing he noticed was that they were near some docks, off to the side a bit. People were starting to arrive and get in the boats parked at the dock.

Presuming that they were being taken somewhere only accessible by boat, Harry made sure to follow suit. Elena didn't attend this time with him, as her dark arts class gave an essay due the next day.

While the option was given to attend the tournament, teachers at Durmstrang still gave the same amount of work as if there wasn't a tournament.

Harry himself had a charms paper due soon and would need to spend the better part of the night finishing it.

But that was for later, now he had a tournament to watch. Getting in a boat, unfortunately not quite as lucky as last time to only have friends for company. A girl and boy, looking like they were closer than friends, got in as well.

No words were exchanged as the boat began to move of its own volition, as the boat glided through the water as if resistance didn't exist.

Eventually they came within sight of three towers jutting out of the water. As they got closer, Harry noticed that the towers were actually floating on the water and didn't look like they extended beneath the surface at all.

Arriving at one of the side towers, Harry got off the boat, and as soon as the other two passengers got off as well the boat returned in the direction it had come.

Going to the second floor to get a better view, Harry was able to find a spot in the corner facing the middle platform, with a good view of what he could best describe as a podium.

It took several minutes for more boats to arrive and for the platforms to fill up with people. But eventually the three towers seemed to reach capacity, and Harry saw Dumbledore walk up onto the podium.

While he gave his speech telling everyone what the objective of the task was this time, Harry saw the four champions standing around in swim gear.

Hearing Dumbledore mention that the champions needed to retrieve something of value that was taken from them, Harry thought he saw worried expressions flash on the champions faces.

Especially Delacour for some reason, who looked more worried than the others for some reason. Well, it wasn't really his problem, he was just here to watch the show.

The champions would be given one hour, according the Dumbledore. After that, they would automatically lose.

After a brief moment, the cannon went off and the champions dove into the water. Except Neville, who looked like he was choking and had to be pushed in.

About twenty minutes in, Fleur Delacour appeared on the surface, and had to be helped up onto the middle platform. She appeared near hysterical, and only after some words with her headmistress did she calm down.

With no visible item she retrieved in sight, Harry assumed that she had failed the task. Assuming all the others passed this task, then she would most likely be put in last.

'An hour can really be a long time.' Harry thought, almost an hour later. Without being able to see what was going on, it was very boring just standing here watching the water.

He wasn't the only one with this sentiment, as there were people milling around, talking, and even some people playing cards at a table in the back.

It was past an hour now, and people were starting the get antsy. A minute past the hour, and Cedric surfaced right near the middle platform. Climbing up with what he was meant to retrieve, Harry was surprised to see him carrying a girl in his arms.

'So it was people they cared about they had to retrieve?' Harry thought. Well, it would be a excellent motivator.

Next came Victor, splashing out of the water with his person in tow. Once again, it was Hermione Granger. Harry didn't personally see them as very close, but then again it wasn't likely that the judges could take anyone from Durmstrang with getting in some hot water.

Next came Neville, who was carrying two people. One was Ron Weasley, but the other was a young girl Harry didn't recognize at all. Seeing Fleur's hysterics though, it was probably her sister.

Once all the champions were dried off and not shivering anymore, the judges gave their scores.

First, was Cedric, as he returned first with just one minute over the time limit. Second was Neville who, even though arrived last, rescued both champions and was given extra points for that. Third was Victor, who arrived after Cedric. And last was Fleur, who didn't retrieve her person at all.

Having seen everything, Harry was about to join everyone else taking the boats back. But then common sense returned to him and he realized that the portkey could just take him back from here.

Catching Victor's eye and giving him a wave, Victor cracked a small smile. Activating his portkey, Harry disappeared with a crack. He would return in a few months for the last task.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer** **: I own nothing except my OC's**

* * *

The winter was slightly less brutal, although that wasn't saying much.

Walking through the snow covered trail leading to his usual practice spot outside, Harry debated whether he really should be doing what he was going to do. And he wasn't the only one who thought he was being stupid.

"You really are an imbecile." Elena said, trailing behind him. And the thing is, she is probably right.

Because Harry was going to try something extremely dangerous and advanced, and it was something that was far out of his league.

He was trying to create an inferius. Or rather, he was trying to test the spell used to create an inferius. There weren't any dead human bodies lying around that he knew of, so Harry was forced to use his creativity in testing the spell.

Such a spell could backfire horribly, which was why Elena was here. Not like she could do anything if things really went bad, but it was a comfort all the same.

Harry had been surprised when he found out that the inferius spell could work on animals as well, which was why he was levitating a dead squirrel beside him as he travelled away from the school.

He had been further surprised when he found books in the Durmstrang library about inferi creation. Granted, it was mostly theoretical, but still.

"I know." Harry responded to Elena, still determined to at least give it a try. Elena rolled her eyes, but Harry got the feeling that she was a little bit worried about the outcome.

For all they knew, the squirrel would try and tear out their eyes when it was reanimated. Or try and kill them.

Placing the squirrel down in a bit, Harry began placing some light wards around the place. They were to keep the reanimated corpse from attempting to leave.

But one negative of testing the spell was that it made the squirrel highly magic resistant. After all, a corpse that could be dispatched with a simple spell wouldn't be much harm to a trained witch or wizard.

Which was why over break Harry had asked Finky for a large hammer. If all else failed, he could at least try and smash the inferius to pieces. He debated whether to bring a gun, but having never fired one before Harry was unsure whether or not he would be able to accurately use one.

Finding the small open area where he usually practiced, Harry lowered the squirrel into a small pit.

Stepping back quite a bit with Elena being the same, Harry took a deep breath before recalling the spell in his head. If he was caught by the ministries, then he would be going to Azkaban. The thought still his hand.

Almost everything he had done personally up to now was either legal, or in the grey area. But this was firmly in the dark, and there would be no one to protect him if he was caught.

Harry's resolve wavered for a moment, before he steadied himself. If he never pushed boundaries than he would never be different than anyone else.

He took a deep breath, one hand holding his wand and the other holding the hammer, and cast the spell.

The image of the squirrel's muscles twitching spastically and out of order would leave a queasy feeling in Harry's stomach for some time.

Seeing the squirrel begin twitching and spasming in full, with its body rolling over, Harry decided this was enough.

Walking up to the reanimated corpse, or partially reanimated corpse in any case, Harry raised the hammer; and brought it down.

Once fully sure that he had smashed every bone in the squirrel's body, Harry set fire to the corpse and waited till it was reduced to ash.

Nothing had gone wrong; in fact, it had gone quite well all things considered. But still, that didn't make it any less unnerving to see a corpse brought back to life.

As Harry and Elena walked back to the school, a sudden thought crossed Harry's mind. If the spell was used on a recently dead person, would the brain return?

He assumed that the soul wasn't brought back, but would the mind be there in any capacity?

That was a question too deep for right now, and as he approached the school Harry turned his mind to other matters.

The school year was starting to wind down, with a few short months left until it was over again. Harry was a bit stuck on what to do with all the time in the summer.

Maybe travelling was on the table? He certainly had the money for it. The world was a big place, maybe going to the Americas or maybe Africa or Asia would be interesting.

But he still had plenty of time to think over that train of thought and get a plan formulated.

The third task for the tournament was relatively soon, just under a month until Harry went to see who would win.

He was going more for support at this point than for actual interest. While the first task was certainly interesting to watch, the second was an hour wasted staring at water waiting for something to happen.

His classes were proceeding well. With many of his professors having attended the tournament with the students, it was an adjustment to deal with all the extra work, but Harry took it in stride.

He also decided to travel to several different countries over the summer. He had heard things about New York city, and wanted to see whether the fuss was justified.

Harry debated whether to see the magical or non-magical areas, but then rationalized that he could just see both. He had the whole summer, so why not?

He also wanted to go to several other European countries, like France. Harry had been to Germany, but it was for shopping in shady areas and never really got to explore the better sites.

And while he planned out his summer and continued to perform well in school, the third task approached ever closer.

* * *

It was dark when Harry portkeyed to Hogwarts for the third task, and what he saw made him stare.

Where he recalled the quidditch pitch used to be, was now a giant maze.

'All the quidditch fans must be having a fit.' Harry thought, amused.

Elena hadn't decided to accompany him this time, as she wasn't really a fan of Victor, and she too was bored of having to sit and do nothing for almost an hour at the second task.

Well, that solved the problem of needing to find two seats, as most of the spots were already filled, Harry took his seat near the back of the Durmstrang section.

Sitting down next to a sixth year who was in his charms class, Harry politely nodded before looking out at the currently empty podium.

He wondered why this task was so much later than all the others had been. Also, he was once again disappointed to learn that he would yet again be unable to see what was going on, as the maze was far too high to see over.

"Silence, silence." Dumbledore began, standing over a podium. Everyone who was standing sat down, with Hogwarts taking the longest to do so.

As Dumbledore outlined what the champions task was, where they had to navigate the maze, Harry took the time to recall what he knew of the positions of the champions.

If common sense hadn't left him, then Neville and Cedric should be tied for first. Victor then came into second place, with Fleur coming in last place.

"Because Mr. Diggory" Dumbledore continued. "And Mr. Longbottom are tied for first, they shall be the first to enter the maze, followed by Mr. Krum, and Ms. Delacour."

Each school began clapping and cheering for their respective students, with Hogwarts again being the rowdiest and uncomposed. Harry spotted Draco Malfoy with 'Krum' written on his head. He wanted to barf.

"Should any champion need help, then all they need to do is send red sparks up into the sky."

"Now, at the sound of the cannon." Dumbledore began, but was interrupted by said cannon going off early. Giving the old man who Harry recognized as the caretaker an evil eye, Dumbledore nodded at Neville and Cedric, who both proceeded to enter the maze.

Watching the bushes close in behind the two champions, Harry turned his attention to Victor. After a minute, Dumbledore gave the go ahead to Victor as well, and he proceeded into the maze with the entrance also closing behind him.

Finally, Fleur Delacour also went into the maze after another minute had passed. And then the waiting began.

After about twenty minutes, there was a flash of red in the sky.

'I wonder who needs help.' Harry thought, watching to see who it would be.

It was about half an hour when a commotion started among the judges and the Beauxbatons headmistress. When one of the Hogwarts professors, a creepy man with a weird fake eye, levitated Fleur Delacour out from the maze, her headmistress rushed over.

Fleur was apparently stunned, as she didn't move. Or she was dead, but Harry assumed there would be a lot more panic if she was dead.

Seeing Dumbledore wave his wand, Fleur woke up from where she was placed on the grass with a shriek. Taking a few moments to breath heavily and compose herself, she began speaking rapidly with her headmistress.

Harry would later hear that apparently, Victor had attacked and stunned her.

People eventually calmed down and sat down to wait for the rest of the champions to get back. Harry was sure he saw people shaking hands and exchanging money and figured some people had put quite a bit of money down for this tournament. Stupid kids.

There was a sudden crack, and Harry saw two people fall out of the air. It was Neville and Cedric, and both looked quite out of it. From the looks of it, Cedric was paralyzed.

Everyone stood up clapping and cheering, but Harry felt that something was wrong with this situation. For one thing, it looked like Neville was crying, and….wait.

Taking a closer look at Cedric, Harry noticed something. He didn't look locked up. People who were magically paralyzed tended to have locked up muscles making them look extremely tense.

But Cedric didn't look tense or locked up. He looked….dead.

'Ow dear.' Harry thought. Looking around, he noticed that a few others seemed to be coming to his realization. He noticed Hagrid get a very worried look on his face after a few claps. And Delacour screamed when she walked closer.

That confirmed that Cedric was almost certainly dead. By the way that Neville was crying his heart out, it was probably that he wasn't the one to kill him.

About to leave before the majority of people caught on to what was happening, Harry almost activated his portkey before realizing something. It would be very bizarre if he left now at a murder scene. There would undoubtably be raised eyebrows if anyone actually paid attention to him and noticed his departure.

"He's back!" Neville's scream interrupted his thoughts. "Voldemort's back!"

That brought a shriek out of everyone, and Dumbledore rushed closer. A man suddenly ran forward form the stands and collapsed in front of Cedric's body.

"My boy!" He cried, crying now as well. "My son!"

As Neville was dragged away by the man with the weird eye, Harry suddenly got very nervous. Was it true? Was the dark lord really back?

He didn't want to believe it, wanting to chalk it up to teenage hysteria and guilt over Cedric's death. But another part of him, which recalled the world cup, realized it might be possible.

Harry didn't want to draw conclusions unnecessarily, but there was now a real fear that the latest dark lord had returned.

Dumbledore was busy talking to the judges and others who were there, but then suddenly spun around and looked around. Not finding what he was looking for, he took off down the same way that Neville was dragged, along with Snape and McGonagall.

Waiting long enough to see Victor also levitated out, apparently okay, Harry was ready to leave.

Deeming it now long enough to be out of suspicion if he left, Harry got up and left. Making his way to a dark corner out of view of anyone, he activated his portkey and returned to Durmstrang.

One thing was for sure. Harry was quite sure that this tournament was going to be cancelled again.

* * *

Victor told him everything that he missed later at Durmstrang. Apparently, Victor lost awareness right before the third task even began. From what Victor was told, he was likely put under the imperius.

On that note, apparently there had been a death eater at Hogwarts, it had been shushed up, but Victor believed it was that death eater who put him under the imperius.

From what Harry could gleam from the newspapers, nobody was siding with Neville about Voldemort's return. Harry really wanted to believe them but was always more of a pessimist.

He hadn't done anything that would make him a target of the dark lord, and since he wasn't a muggleborn he was likely out of the danger zone if the dark lord did indeed return. Or as safe as he could be given the circumstance.

Finals went well for Harry, with the time he dedicated to studying having paid off. By now, he was used to the way things were in Durmstrang, and nothing of interest happened during his final exams.

On an interesting note, Harry had received an unnamed letter.

 _Dear Harry_

 _We have never had the pleasure of meeting before, but I was good friends with your father, and would like the chance to meet you. If you have any free time during this summer, please send a letter(the muggle way) to this address: 12 Grimmauld place. And please, be discreet._

There was no telling who had been the one to send the letter. It wasn't anyone he knew; they wouldn't phrase the letter in this way. It sounded informal, in a formal kind of way.

Harry would take a bit of time to decide what to do about the letter. It didn't give a specific time during the summer to visit, just any part of break was okay.

Speaking of break, Harry had already picked a nice hotel in New York for his stay there. He wasn't able to arrange it through the British ministry (as they have pissed off just about everyone over the years), so he instead had to do it with the Russian ministry.

That hadn't been a fun meeting, but he got it done in the end and everything was set up.

The most annoying thing was having to deal with those wand permits. The fact that he could be tracked, and magic monitored disturbed Harry greatly. He would need to have his wand checked upon entry into New York, and several charms placed on it to keep check on him.

The only redeeming fact about the permits in his view was that it was only for the duration of his visit. After that, the monitoring and tracking charms would be removed.

From an uninvolved perspective, the wand permits were a great thing. Keeping track of and monitoring witches and wizards would improve criminal catch rates and keep violence to a minimum.

It just felt so intrusive to Harry, who had the freedom apart from his orphanage to practice most forms of magic without fear of being caught.

Ow well, he would deal with it. Harry was only planning to stay a few days in any case, he could manage keeping magic to a minimum in that timeframe.

Another interesting note was that Karkaroff jumped ship metaphorically speaking. Victor told him all about it.

"He didn't show up that night after the third task." Victor said. "So, a few students went looking for him, but there was no trace."

Harry thought back to what Neville said about the dark lords return.

"Do you think it has anything to do with what Neville Longbottom said that night?" He asked back. The two of them hadn't really talked about it much.

Victor paused, as if unsure what to say in response.

"I don't know if he's back." Victor said. "But the British ministry is set on denying his return, and quite frankly most of the other ministries don't care as long as this is contained to Britain."

Harry stared, baffled by what Victor said.

"What do you mean they don't care?" It quite frankly baffled him that any ministry could not care about the return of a dark lord who killed so many people.

"Because last time, Britain was the main victim of the dark lords' activities." Victor began. "And you should know by now that no other ministry likes Britain."

Harry opened his mouth to retort but closed his mouth upon realizing that Victor was right. Their pureblood sentiment would piss off the more forward-thinking ministries, and their inefficiency would probably do the job for the rest.

"But what if the dark lord expands past Britain?" The other ministries would have to act then, at least that was what Harry thought.

"Your dark lord." Victor answered. "Hasn't really posed a problem to the rest of the world. Yes, he did recruit and kill from other countries, but the only ministry to risk collapse from his actions was the British ministry."

Harry stared, surprised at the information that Victor was telling him. Not only for the information itself, but for the fact that it was Victor telling him.

"You've been doing some research." Harry stated. Victor has changed since his failure at the world cup. Maybe it was for the best, as Victor clearly was learning things he didn't know before.

Victor shrugged, and the two went back to theorizing what happened to Karkaroff.

They would not learn about his whereabouts for a long time.

* * *

Harry had written back in response to his strange letter, sending a discreet note to the address mentioned on the letter sent to him. He had spent some time after arriving home debating on whether to respond and decided to give it a shot.

In the time since the tournament, Harry had heard nothing about Voldemort's return, or even if he had returned.

It could be that Voldemort simply wasn't back and Longbottom was simply delirious from the third task.

There was also the chance that the ministry was covering everything up and Voldemort was indeed doing things.

Or it could be that Voldemort was laying low. That option actually had merit to it, as laying low would allow the ministry to continue to discredit Neville and Voldemort.

For now Harry would remain cautionary, and wouldn't go to many of the darker alleys in Britain. He would stick to the popular areas where security was tighter.

'Not like it would do any good.' He thought, recalling the world cup. There was high security there too.

Harry had said his goodbyes to Victor and Elena, with promises to make plans to see both of them (at separate times of course).

Finky had been delighted to see him and got to work preparing a great meal. Harry thought it was a bit heavy on the stomach but wasn't going to complain about the food quality.

She had done a great job keeping the place clean and tidy, Harry couldn't spot a single piece of dust, or anything else out of the ordinary for that matter.

Harry was sitting at the dinner table the morning after his return home when the sound of the floo activating surprised him.

Making his way to the foyer where the floo was, Harry saw Arthur Weasley stumble out. It couldn't be for the check in, as it was too early for such a check in.

"Harry!" Arthur began, coming in with his usual happy smile. Although for some reason, it looked duller than it had the previous summer.

"Hey, Mr. Weasley." Harry replied. "What brings you this early?"

At that, Arthur got a slightly nervous look on his face and shuffled around.

"I'm here on behalf of someone." He started. "The same one who sent you that letter near the end of the school year."

Unable to stop an eyebrow from shooting up, Harry wondered who could possible have connections to Arthur Weasley that would write to him.

It wasn't like he was chummy with any of Arthur's children, and there wouldn't be any need for subtly in that case. So, who could it be?

"Would you be willing to come with me for a bit?" Arthur nervously asked. Harry assumed that Arthur was firmly behind the whole 'dark lord returned' mentality.

Harry was about to answer, but realized something. If Voldemort was truly back, then it would be dangerous for him to associate with someone who clearly was an enemy of the dark lord.

"I don't know if I feel comfortable going somewhere unknown." He answered. "is there no way for you to tell me the place your going to take me is safe?"

"Believe me, there are few other places that are safer." Arthur replied, confidently this time. "Nobody can get in without us knowing about it."

'So are they some kind of secret organization?' Harry thought. It sure sounded like it was more than just the Weasleys, like this was a big gathering of people. If that was the case, why was he invited to this place then?

"Can you assure me that this place we are going is completely safe?" Harry didn't really want to take chances. Testing magic was one thing, but getting involved with a group of people who were quite likely enemies of the dark lord was something he wanted none of.

Arthur took a moment to answer, thinking over in his head. After several seconds, he answered "Yes".

* * *

Harry was invited to stay the night, but he replied that he would stay if he felt comfortable with the location.

Still unsure about the whole thing, Harry followed Mr. Weasley back to the Floo. He wished he had a portkey on hand to take him back if anything went awry, but if this place was as protected as Mr. Weasley let on, then it wouldn't matter.

Putting his hand on Harry's shoulder, Arthur Weasley walked them into the floo, whispering something quietly as he went. Harry assumed it was their destination, and was proven correct as the two shot out of another fireplace.

Taking a moment to look around, the first thing Harry noticed was the atmosphere of the place. Namely, it was very dreary. Seriously, did someone commit murder and a ghost was permanently haunting the place? Because it sure did feel like it from the tone of the place.

Even the colors were a dull grey, all around the room they were in. The only other real color in the room came from the fireplace, where the dull embers glowed a dark orange.

Mr. Weasley dusted himself off, and with a small cough proceeded out of the room motioning for Harry to follow. Walking into the hallway, Harry noticed that the colors were just as bland as the room he was in.

'Who lives here?' Harry thought. It seemed like a very old house, not the kind of place someone like Arthur Weasley would go to.

Eventually arriving at another door, Arthur turned and gave Harry a wink and walked in, with a unamused Harry following him in.

The first thing he noticed was that it was a very long room, with a wooden table taking up a significant portion of the room. There was a small kitchen to the other end, and a door near the stove leading to who knows where.

The second thing he noticed was that there were other people in the room. An older man who Harry recognized from the tri wizard tournament from the Hogwarts section. He was the one with the weird eye who have Harry the creeps.

And there was someone else too. It took Harry a moment, but when he finally recognized who it was he almost let out a shriek. He looked nothing like he did in the pictures of him after his escape.

Leaning back against a wall to support himself, as he was staring in the face of a killer, Harry debated trying to go for his wand.

"Well, he's taking it better than Longbottom." The odd eyed man said, who Harry would later learn was Alastor Moody.

Harry looked back and forth between Moody, Sirius Black, and Arthur Weasley. What kind of messed up scenario was this. A ministry employee, a killer, and an insane weird eyed man all in the same room. Has hell finally turned over?

"Maybe we should….." Arthur began, but was cut off by Sirius Black.

"Harry Potter." He said, almost as if tasting the name. Harry himself didn't really know what was going on. Did Sirius Black want to see _him_? Why would a man like him possibly want anything to do with someone like Harry?

"I don't believe we've met." Harry said, putting his hands behind his back once he noticed they were shaking slightly. It wouldn't do to let the man know just how much he unsettled him.

"No, you wouldn't remember." Sirius answered, sounding hollow. "You were very little when we last met."

Harry by this point was starting to transition from fear to awkwardness, as he still didn't know what the man wanted.

Unless the man was a family friend before he was shipped off to Azkaban. Harry stilled upon coming to a realization. Sirius Black was considered guilty for siding with the dark lord. If that was so, then why was he here.

"Were you friends of my parents?" Harry asked, not expecting what followed. Sirius Black took in a deep, raspy breath, before letting out a meek "Yes."

He really was quite different than how Harry recalled him from the papers. There, Sirius Black was a frothing mess, Harry vaguely recalled him silently screaming and multiple hands having to keep him still for the papers.

The man in front of him was still far from normal, and appeared quite twitchy. But he didn't seem completely insane, at least not yet.

"so, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this isn't what it seems?" Harry half stated, half asked. It looked like Arthur would be the one to answer, but Sirius cut in before he could.

"I was framed." He said quietly. "I was betrayed by someone I trusted, someone we all trusted."

"Who was it?" Harry asked. Was it another family friend who went power hungry, or fell to fear?

"Peter Pettigrew." Although it was his quietest statement yet, there was no denying the anger underneath those words. There was also something else, like a resolve to finish something.

"Ah." Harry said, barely recognizing the name from the paper of the man who died trying to stop Sirius Black.

Other than that, he had no clue who the man was. Connections to the family perhaps?

"So, might I ask what's all this." Harry said, motioning to the general building they were in.

The three others in the room looked at each other for several seconds, before Arthur decided to take the initiative and answer him.

"I assume you heard what happened at the Tri-wizard Tournament?" He began. Harry was about to mention he was there, but thought better of it and stayed silent.

"What you may not know is that….the dark lord has returned." Arthur finished, giving him a nervous look. Well, it looks like these were all believers in the dark lords return.

"Did anyone actually….see him?" Harry wondered aloud. Because from what he knew, only Neville Longbottom 'saw' him, and that wasn't exactly concrete proof.

"The signs are unmistakable." Sirius said, sidestepping the question, smart man. "This is exactly how it started last time."

"What has started?" Harry retorted, curious as to what they would say.

"The second wizarding war." Sirius said solemnly.

Well, for one thing 'wizarding war' implied that it was all of wizard kind at war. After his talk with Victor a while ago, Harry did some research and found that Victor was right.

While there was indeed recruitment and some damage in other areas of the world, most of the destruction and carnage was taking place in Britain.

It goes to show how much people exaggerate situations they find themselves in. Voldemort was no doubt bad, but from Harry's learnings Grindelwald was much worse.

"So, why am I here." Harry said, getting straight to the point. He doubted it had to do with Voldemort, as Harry himself was still just a kid. Probably more skilled than the kids at Hogwarts or Beauxbatons in his age group, but still just a kid.

"Because, I wanted you to know the truth." Sirius answered. "Your parents and I were…..close. They helped me in a bad time, and I wanted to return the favor."

Harry finally sat down across from Sirius. If this was a plot, then by all means Sirius deserved credit for amazing acting.

"May I ask a question?" He asked, getting a nod from Sirius. "What happened to Peter Pettigrew."

Sirius got a nasty eye twitch at that, and a nasty scowl appeared on his face.

"He transformed." Sirius began. "Into a rat, and has been hiding all of these years in that form. That's why I went to Hogwarts, because I know where he was, and I wanted to end him."

"Sirius!" Arthur warned, getting a glare from Sirius.

"Don't be so innocent, Arthur." Sirius said. "Harry goes to bloody Durmstrang, and he should have an inkling of an idea as to what goes on in the darker corners of the magical world."

Arthur said nothing at that, and Sirius took a deep breath before continuing.

"He escaped." Sirius continued. "And has returned to Voldemort, the dirty rat that he is."

Harry was still unsure about the validity of all this, but figured that arguing against Sirius Black was probably a bad idea at the moment. They had just met after all.

He listened as Sirius continued his tale, about how he escaped death at the hands of dementors with the help of Neville and Hermione. Apparently, there were arriving in just a few days.

"Is it really necessary for them to come here?" Harry asked, curious as to why they would move Neville at the very least to this dingy old place. From what he knew, Neville had a large manor with good wards, surely they weren't at risk?

But then again, if the dark lord was back, then anywhere could fall. Maybe.

Sirius sucked in his breath and looked like he was unsure about whether or not to answer. Finally, he decided and began to speak.

"Not many know of this." He began. "But recently, a dementor attacked Neville in a muggle area of London. The ministry is trying to have him expelled and wand snapped for the offense, and the trial is tomorrow."

'That was a lot of information in a short time.' Harry thought, breaking down what he was told.

If Sirius was right, then Voldemort somehow had control over dementors….or maybe someone in the ministry with control of dementors was working for Voldemort.

Harry didn't want to fall down the path of paranoia, but with how much of the ministry was filled with pureblood bigots, it was more than likely there would be several supporters of the dark lord.

If they had control of dementors then they had to be fairly high ranking members of the ministry.

But he could speculate about this later, now he had to address the elephant in the room.

"So, it is true that the ministry is flat out trying to deny the dark lord's return?" Harry had already known as much, but it was better to hear from someone else to reinforce his opinion.

"Fudge seems willing to go to almost any length to ensure that news of the dark lord's return is suppressed." Sirius answered.

"Is he a supporter, or is he scared?" Harry asked. From what he knew of Cornelius Fudge, the man was no pureblood extremist. A corrupt incompetent fraud and idiot, but not the kind of person that would follow a man like Voldemort.

"It's the fear." Sirius continued. "In his last rise the dark lord almost laid low the ministry. Fudge wants to do everything in his power to keep himself from realizing the terrible truth of the dark lord's return."

"So" Harry said after a short pause. "I guess nothing short of putting Fudge in front of the dark lord will convince him of the realities?"

The others in the room nodded at that, but Harry still had some questions.

"Then why say anything at all?" He asked them. They had known that Fudge was a spineless coward beforehand, didn't they expect him to reject the truth? Or was the situation that serious that it warranted the risk.

"What you must understand, Harry." Sirius answered. "Neville appeared with the body of Cedric Diggory at the third task. He than stated that the dark lord returned, several times in fact. Dumbledore then supported his statement, which was rejected on the spot by Fudge."

"It wasn't planned, it just happened." Sirius finished, sitting back in his chair.

Harry wasn't surprised in the slightest over what he was told about Fudge. Having never met the man personally (at least that he can remember), Harry could only base his opinions off of how policies and events played out, and they weren't the most reliable ways of determining character.

But that was all he had to go off of, and Harry was glad to see that his basic observations were true about the leader of the wizarding world. A complete and utter imbecile.

"So, what have you been doing." He asked. Without the ministry support, what could they accomplish?

"We have been gathering allies, anyone who we can convince of the dark lord's return." Sirius responded. "But it is a losing battle, for every ally we gain, the dark lord gains ten more."

'That's daunting.' Harry thought. How horrible it must be, to see impending death and destruction and to have your concerns denied outright by the governing body. What's more, the dark lord is having no problem calling in supporters, if Sirius was to be believed.

All in all, it looked like a pretty bleak situation, which was probably to be expected. Until now, Harry had held hoe that this was all hysteria, but looking at the faces of the men in the room he finally gave up on that dream.

They stayed in silence for a while, until Sirius gave a small cough and got up.

"Well, let me show you around the place." He said, making his way to the door. Taking the change in atmosphere in stride, Harry followed Sirius out of the room.

They first walked up to the next floor, where Sirius showed him several of the rooms and their meaning. Apparently, this had been Sirius's childhood home, but he had run away from it when he was quite young.

'I wonder why.' Harry sarcastically though, looking at the heads of the house elves on the self. It really was a morbid sight, and Harry could perfectly imagine someone with a weak stomach vomiting from the horrible sight.

They walked past a room containing the names of all members of the black family, and their extended relatives. The interesting thing was that the family connections were represented by branches, an interesting take on how family works.

They walked past several rooms, one with the name Regulus Black on its door.

"Who was this?" Harry asked. He never realized Sirius had a brother, by the sounds of it.

"My death eater brother." Sirius said, the disdain evident in his voice. "He sided with the dark lord, ate all the pureblood crap like it was a cake. He died, fighting for that madman."

Harry said nothing at that, glancing back at the door. They continued through the house, passing by a room that by the sounds of it had a bad Doxie infestation.

Another room they skipped because Sirius said that a boggart was hidden in one of the cabinets.

"Does anyone else live here?" Harry eventually asked. He knew that Arthur Weasley didn't live here, and the other man, Alastor Moody, probably didn't live here either.

"People come and go as they please." Sirius answered, as they continued to walk around. "Neville is going to arrive in a bit, and his friends as well. There isn't any bad tension between you guys, is there?"

Harry shook his head; he wasn't in good or bad light with Neville. They simply didn't really know anything about each other.

Now, Harry could believe the rot that the papers were saying about Neville, but that was simply stupid. Hermione was fine, quite smart but a bit too attached to authority. Ron was….eh.

Harry would be fine around the three, so long as they don't go on about how Neville was the next coming of Merlin or something stupid like that.

It's had been a while, but based off of what he saw at the tournament, Harry was quite sure that Neville was still a mediocre wizard at best.

Sirius finished his little tour by bringing Harry back to the kitchen for lunch. Harry hadn't realized so much time had passed since he arrived.

They had a sparse lunch, which suited Harry just fine. Afterwards things kind of fell into an awkward silence, until Sirius took the initiative and began speaking.

"I knew your father, James." He began, a wistful look in his eyes. "Met each other our first year at Hogwarts, thick as thieves."

Harry really hoped that he wasn't one of those people to compare the children to the parents. In his case it was useless, because he didn't even know his parents. Some might even call it insulting.

"Tell me." Sirius continued. "Are you by any chance a fan of quidditch?"

Yep, Sirius was one of those people. He probably saw Harry as his chance of finding memories of one of his old friends.

It was sad, to see a man falsely accused, sitting here trying to keep himself together by drowning in memories of the past.

But, at the same time Harry was his own person and had his own life to live. He would play nice today but would distance himself after this meeting. There was also the same influence of the dark lord on his decision, wanting no part in the mess these people were going to get into.

"I've gotten into flying over the years." He answered. "But, Durmstrang doesn't really have a quidditch team, so there is no reason to practice."

Sirius's mouth twisted into a small frown for a moment at the mention of Durmstrang, but he tried to plaster a smile on top and proceeded onward.

"Ah yes." Sirius continued. "I heard that you decided to go to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts, any reason for that?"

"It seemed more…..intellectually inclined." He didn't realize how insulting that sounded until it was out of his mouth. Luckily, out of the two other people in the room (Arthur Weasley having returned home) Moody didn't care by the look of it and Sirius just quirked an eyebrow.

"It's just that." Harry tried restating. "Hogwarts is so focused on sports, house points, and bickering among the different houses. It's tiring, and quite frankly distracting."

"So, your saying that there is no fighting at Durmstrang?" Sirius said, letting out a small smirk.

"Of course, there's fighting." Harry defended. "But, it's for things that truly matter, not the smallest slights made in the hallway. The fights at Durmstrang have _meaning_."

He was surprised that nobody had mentioned blood purity yet. Did they assume it was a tricky subject? Or did they assume that he was already for or against bloody purity?

Questions like these plagued Harry's mind as the day went on. Despite a few bumps along the road, time mostly went by quickly.

It wasn't until it was almost dinner when Arthur came back and announced his family and Neville would be here soon.

That was Harry's queue to leave, and he quickly bid farewell to the others. Sirius was stalled by someone else coming up to talk to him, so Harry made haste out of the hall and out what he assumed were the front doors.

Closing the door behind him, Harry walked down the steps, finding himself on a street he had never seen before. Crossing the street to what looked like a park, Harry took a moment to get his bearings.

He was clearly in London, that much was for sure. He would probably snag the knight bus, and use it to get back to the ministry.


	19. Story Dead

Got some bad news, I have officially lost inspiration for this story. I've moved onto other series and ideas, so although this story is left unfinished, maybe I'll start something new in the future. Thanks to everyone who stuck around this long and apologize to everyone who was hoping for a more drawn out story.


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